


close your eyes, i'll be fine

by usermechanics



Category: Love Live! Sunshine!!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alcohol, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, Friends With Benefits, Multi, Post-Canon, Unresolved Romantic Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-26
Updated: 2020-08-28
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:15:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 23,993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26098489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/usermechanics/pseuds/usermechanics
Summary: Three years after her closest friends left her, Kanan, trying to figure her life out, finds a flier for a conference that lets her relive her favorite memories and make a few more.
Relationships: Kurosawa Dia/Matsuura Kanan/Ohara Mari, Matsuura Kanan & Watanabe You, Takami Chika/Watanabe You (minor)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 29





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So it's really been three years, huh?
> 
> Honestly, I thought that I was going to be done writing after finishing Mari's Obsession. I'm glad I didn't. The amount that I have learned about these characters, the world they live in, the fandom, myself, and how I look at the world through the lens of writing I cannot understate. Not to mention the journey that writing has let me embark on. There have been highs, there have been lows, there have been lows disguised as highs; I've made friends and enemies alike. Most importantly, though, I've found a way to work on a hobby that I've come to love.
> 
> And it's partially because of you, the people reading this, that I didn't stop after finishing Mari's Obsession all those years ago. I can't thank everyone who's been a part of my writing adventure for being a part of it, whether you've been supporting me since I wrote The Anniversary Sketch Show or this is your first fic of mine.
> 
> Anyway, I'll spare you the melodrama; you're not here for me to say all this. You want some KanaDiaMari (and some side KanaYou), so I won't let you wait any longer.

In the grand scheme of things, three years was not that big a deal.

It was a seventh of her life. It was as long as she spent in high school. It was half the time that she spent working where she did, for that matter. It was the amount of time she had been on her own, for her to finally be an adult, even if it didn’t have her going to college and she stayed where she had been put for the first eighteen years of her life.

It was time that seemed to flow by endlessly and without any disdain for those living through it. It was time where she saw her kouhais grow up into adults, where she’d occasionally get a phone call from Chika about how she was planning on staying put or how Yoshiko somehow got into theology and had it as a backup in the case that her streaming career was pulled under for any reason. It was enough time for her to see a few graduations that weren’t her own, unofficial reunions for Aqours to talk about things and how their lives were going.

She loved those times because they were the few times where she could see them again, but in those sparse moments she could only remember how long they had been gone from her life. Outside of those moments, she didn’t see them ever, like they were phantoms she could touch, phantoms of the times that had gone by and where she could have been. As much as she wanted to talk with them, it almost hurt to hear that they were off, doing better things, living their lives. They had the freedom to be freed, to live their lives outside of the place that they lived throughout their lives.

She didn’t even get the time to talk to them after the celebrations and parties. They had work tomorrow and they were threatening their schedules enough just being at their friends’ graduations. Kanan had all the time in the world, time she wished that she could sacrifice at their expense to talk over a cup of tea, or for Ruby’s graduation, a beer. At least she had the tolerance to nurse them all down the weekend after by herself.

As much as Dia and Mari needed to go back to work, Kanan didn’t need to go anywhere. There was no point in going anywhere as long as she could make a living here, and given that people were still coming to buy things, she could do that just fine.

Plodding through her thoughts was made worse by it being a Thursday.

Thursdays were usually the slowest days on her schedule, and she could have closed shop all day without a difference most weeks. Most of the time, Kanan wasn’t even focused on the window; she had other things she could do, things that could hopefully break the monotony of whatever this was--whatever it was, it certainly wasn’t living.

And that monotony was broken in a way Kanan fancied a lot, staring at her phone, at messages from someone whose picture was their abs. She hoped You didn’t mind the picture she chose, but she was sure that her picture on You’s phone was at least that crass, if not moreso. Maybe not, though; You had a life and Kanan sat around in her home all day, and she had the luxury of being crass without the fear of someone watching.

_are u doing anything today?_

It was sad knowing that the highest stakes she had all day was setting up something like this, but she needed it. She needed something to break apart the monotony of days passing by on end with barely any difference between them. She always thought of it as a cigarette break, but one that she could linger and suck upon for so much longer, reaching highs that a cigarette could only dream of.

Thankfully, You was quick to respond.

_nope! i thought i might have needed to go in, but papa’s good today!_

Kanan did a double-take before looking out the window in front of her, making sure that nobody was going to come in. As if anyone was going to come in on a Thursday evening, but it was technically open, and she didn’t want anyone to see exactly what she was doing to stave off boredom. It was a decency thing. Even if there wasn’t anyone looking in, or anyone at all walking by, she decided it’d be better to sneak into a back room, a hand grasping onto the zipper keeping her wetsuit tight on her body.

As she slipped into the back room, her wetsuit was down to her navel and falling off her shoulders. Her bikini top left little to the imagination, less equipped for swimming and much more adept for gravure modeling. She leaned forward against a half wall, her elbows digging into the wood while she angled her phone so that it’d take a decent shot of her lips and her cleavage. It might have felt wrong to do it when she was supposed to work, but at least wrong was something she could feel.

She sent her first picture, along with a message.

_bored at work. gonna close soon if you get me ;)_

Even if she didn’t send that picture, You would have known what she meant. She sent it for herself, honestly. It was always a treat knowing just how much she admired her body, and there was something so satisfying about making her drool for the few moments before her inevitable _be there soon_ message would ping her phone. The only thing that Kanan needed to worry about now was how she was going to welcome You, and how she was going to wear her wetsuit.

She made sure to zip it up as she flipped the sign in the front window from open to closed, but once she had done that, she unzipped it and threw it aside, her tiny green bikini eye-catching like lingerie. Considering how she lived by the sea, they were pretty much the same thing; as long as You ripped it off her body and made her feel good, she didn’t care what it was called.

All that mattered was that she could relax underneath her touch.

* * *

You knew how to make Kanan feel good.

It came in the little things, the unsaid ritual of skipping small talk outside of greetings and finding Kanan in her bedroom. There was never any bullshit between them; it was easy enough when her lips tasted so good that she couldn’t think of letting them talk. It was routine. They always, without fail, made out, huffed against each other between their kisses to take off You’s top or for Kanan to unclip her bikini top. 

She always loved the way You admired the first sight of her breasts, even if it was the hundredth first time.

She loved how You felt in her hands when she started stripping her. She loved being able to feel someone in her hands, and whether it was a gentle caress to her hair or to her ass, being able to feel her, to touch someone, relieved her. She loved the taste of mikan on her lips, bright and rejuvenating in a way that she wished her other vices could only dream of. She loved being able to take her clothes off, baring her body in a way few could see her, and she loved how You was all the same about it. She loved the reciprocality of it. She loved seeing You naked.

What she loved more, though, was You between her legs.

She knew every spot. She knew exactly how to make Kanan’s toes curl. She knew exactly what every cadence of her huffs demanded of her and was attentive to a level that would make whoever ended up her significant other a very lucky person. She knew how to make Kanan tremble, where to lick at her clit to make her wrap her thighs around the sides of her head. She knew how to make her cry out, screaming profanities that she could scream out to the void--she never had neighbors to worry about. She knew her pussy in such a delightful way, one that made her forget about how bland the world was around her.

You ate. You kept her hands on Kanan’s thighs and she ate, her tongue aggressively lashing against every sensitive spot while her hands dug into You’s locks, pulling her tightly. She looked down at her with almost pleading eyes--You never considered herself one to be in control between them, but what Kanan needed was her to take charge, to let her forget about the bland monotony of the swirling infinity of weeks gone by. She needed it to forget about the monotony of their times fucking.

It wasn’t that You made her feel bored. Far from it; if she didn’t grab onto her hair she would have grabbed onto the bed sheets she laid upon in toe-curling tension. The view of You’s muscular body on full, naked display never failed to please her, either. There was just something off, something that she couldn’t necessarily put her finger on.

But caring about that was hard when You had slipped two fingers into her pussy and rubbed at her g-spot. Caring about anything was hard when she could do nothing but submit to the waves of pleasure coursing through her. A wide smile grew on her face as You finger-fucked her, her toes curling as she let out aching and needy huff after huff. She was really good at fingering her, and her tongue lolling at her clit and battering it with her saliva made it even more difficult to focus on anything that wasn’t what she was doing to her.

She even got into it herself, rolling her hips desperately against her face and hand. It wasn’t a time for her to worry about anything. That’s why she asked You to come over, after all, for her to forget about her day and to leave her worries at the door where her shoes were, not bring things up that made her feel bad for even doing something to break up her monotony. Sometimes, a woman just needed to get her rocks off to forget about everything without strings, and that’s where You came in.

You always came in with a bright smile and a laugh that was contagious, things that were perfect for cheering her up. She had a great sense of humor, in case her smile didn’t immediately spread to everyone around her. But there was more than that, like a lingering feeling that she, too, could have been left behind at any given moment. It might have been that which they indulged in together, and as friends from childhood, they trusted each other a lot, enough that they could do what they were doing without having any thoughts about it being weird.

There was no love involved. This was solely to get a bit of stress out, stress that manifested itself in Kanan’s body tensing tightly, her back raising from the cushions of the bed behind her as You continued to play with her and make everything feel so right. Kanan yelled out her name, oftentimes punctuating it with a _fuck_ or a _more_ , desperate to feel all the stress in her body leave in the crashing waves of her impending climax.

With a smack to her ass, Kanan came hard. The first thing she could remember after that was she was laying on the bed with You on top of her; she had blacked out for a moment, according to You.

“Fuck, You…”

“You really needed that, huh, Kanan?” She asked, rolling off of her and sitting besides her, upright. Kanan looked up at the ceiling and nodded lazily.

“You bet,” she huffed, bringing herself from her laying position so she could sit next to her, not realizing how heavy her body felt from her afterglow. “You don’t want to know how much I needed that.”

“That picture you sent gave me a clue,” You remarked, a teasing grin on her face, one that caused Kanan to flush a bit more. “I was planning on messaging you a bit later anyway, though. I was getting bored and Chika’s still doing work, you know?”

Kanan tilted her head. “Yeah, I get that. How is Chika, by the way?”

“Chika’s Chika. Sailing through the storm with a bright smile on her face. She’s really something,” You said, her tone losing focus a bit as she trailed off about Chika. Kanan playfully nudged her.

“She hasn’t changed a bit since high school, huh?”

You shook her head. “Not at all. All that’s changed is that she works at the ryokan more, but she seems pretty happy about it.”

Kanan bit her tongue. “She’s fine staying here?”

“Sounds like it! Not like she really has much of a choice, though…”

“Yeah,” Kanan sighed, “I feel that.”

You tilted her head, running a finger up her side. “What do you mean?”

Kanan huffed, wishing she could grab the pillow behind her, put it to her face, and muffle everything she wanted to say. “I don’t feel like I have much of a choice being here. I still haven’t heard from my papa about when he’s coming back. Even if he did, what would I even do?”

“College?”

“With _my_ grades? I’m thankful that Mari let me graduate with my attendance record!”

You hummed to herself disconcertedly. “Well, what would you want to do?”

“I’d like to get out of here, You. Have you seen everyone else? The only people who haven’t left this town are you, me, and Chika. The only times I’ve seen Dia and Mari have been for your, Chika’s, and Ruby’s graduation parties. And now even Ruby, Hanamaru, and Yoshiko are gone! They’re off doing amazing things, ready to change the world with their brilliant smiles and outstanding smarts, and I’m still here? What am I going to do?”

“The dive shop?”

“Why, You? To live in the same place all my life without seeing the world around me, listening to another boorish tourist telling me to take off my wetsuit and I have to deal with it because those assholes are the main way I pay my rent, while everyone else I know can live their lives actually moving up in the world? I hate it here! I should be glad I have a roof over my head and money for food, but it means nothing if I don’t have anyone to share life with!”

“You have me and Chika, Kanan,” You interrupted.

Kanan went silent for some time, enough for You to add to her comments.

“You miss Mari and Dia a lot, don’t you?”

Kanan could feel tears welling up in her eyes. Missing them was an understatement.

“I call them every weekend, but it’s not the same. Mari always has to cut the conversations short because of work, and it’s so weird even now not hearing Ruby saying hello to me sometimes when I’m talking with Dia. I don’t really know what I can tell them. I’d do anything to see them again,” Kanan curled a hand into a fist, “but what can I even do when all I can think about is how great the past was?”

“I don’t know, Kanan,” You remarked after a few seconds of silence, “but I really hope that you’re happy doing what you end up doing. It must hurt seeing everyone you care about and love leave you for bigger things.” You leaned into Kanan, trying to hide her face in the crook of her neck. “At least Chika’s not going anywhere.”

Kanan pulled You away from her safe haven. “I forgot that about you and Chika! When were you considering asking her out?”

It was You’s turn to flush. “I don’t know,” she said as she looked towards the edge of the bed. “I’m kinda scared that I’m a bit late about asking her. She could have found someone that I don’t even know about and that would be the end of that.”

“Are you still mad at her about Riko?” Kanan asked.

You gave a slight shrug. “Not really. She taught me that if I want to be serious about being with Chika, I need to give a reason for someone else not to get to her first. I guess I’m not doing that by sleeping around with you, huh?”

“Not really,” Kanan shrugged. “I enjoy your company though. Not like how you see Chika, but, you know, as someone you can talk to anything about.”

“No kidding,” You said, resting herself against her. “You’ve always been that way for me and Chika, and honestly, I see no reason in hiding anything from someone that I fuck weekly.” You chuckled, and Kanan chuckled in kind. “I’m just nervous about her knowing, you know?”

“We can call it off if you want to go for her, you know.”

“But what will you do, Kanan?”

It was like You had just stabbed her through the chest with those words, the wind knocked out of her in such a weird way. It wasn’t even like her words weren’t undeserved. She wanted to know what was best for You, and if that was leaving her behind for something new, well, what was that something new going to even be? Kanan slumped her shoulders, wrapping her arms around her knees. You soothingly rubbed her back.

“I really don’t know, You, but I’ll find something.”

“One step at a time, right?” You asked.

“I guess,” Kanan replied, pulling an arm away from her knee so she could wrap it around You. “But what I really want is for you to be happy. If that means we can’t fuck around like this anyone, I’m fine biting the bullet. It’s not like you being with Chika will mean that I won’t see you two around.” Kanan leaned in, as if whispering the next few words, and she spoke in a half-teasing manner. “Also, tell Chika to come by here sometime. This place is so boring most of the time and I’d love to see her around.”

“You can count on me, Kanan!” You gave Kanan her salute, a sailors’ promise. Kanan smiled, withholding her chuckles. You was really good at putting her in a good mood.

“Thank goodness,” Kanan said, bringing a hand to her abdomen. It had been awhile since she last ate something. Well, something that wasn’t between You’s legs; Kanan needed some protein that pussy simply couldn’t satisfy. “You want to go to a convenience store and get some food or something?”

“I’ve already eaten,” You said, reaching for her phone on the nightstand. After checking it, she added something. “Plus, I need to go. Chika texted me about something and I might try popping the question tonight.”

“You want to use the shower here?” Kanan asked. “I’m sure Chika will find something fishy if you ask that question while all sweaty and smelling like you’ve fucked someone else.”

You nodded. “That sounds like a good idea.”

“You know where the towels are,” Kanan said. “I’m gonna head out, so make sure you close the door on the way out and lock it.”

“Yousoro!”

* * *

Maybe Kanan should have asked for You to cook for her, but even then, she’d be at the convenience store to get food.

Kanan was a regular at her local 7-Eleven, checking daily on deals for whatever kinds of things they sold. Nothing was ever really that good, but if she wasn’t going to put the effort into cooking--something which she never really found time to do or improve on--she’d have to suffer with the same boring sandwiches and rolls and occasional sushi.

There were some times where they had something on sale, things like boxes of curry roux, which would test her mettle behind the stove, and it was miraculous if they didn’t end up burnt in some capacity. Chika had a habit of telling her to follow what it said on the box, but it never really worked like that. Picking up a box of roux, she told herself that someday this week would be different and she’d get it actually correct this time around.

The curry was going to be the highlight meal of the week. The rest of the money she spent on sandwiches, chips, beers, and seaweed. Tons of seaweed. It was almost an addiction of hers, and stuffing her basket with it was, almost in its own way, treating herself for the inevitability of You asking her question and leaving her touch-starved. Maybe she’d find something online to swallow that misery a bit easier, but seaweed was definitely a good place to start.

“That’ll be ¥3000,” the cashier said after ringing up all of her goods, the only bit of conversation between them. Kanan could see the look in their eye throughout, as if waiting for her to start the conversation between them, but there wasn’t anything for her to talk about. Kanan gave them the money as quickly as she could get it out of her purse, and was given the bags for her to take home.

“Take care!”

“Thank you!”

Kanan blinked as she stepped outside, her eyes adjusting from the bright, almost oppressive, lights lit up the 7-Eleven. Facing her bicycle, she placed her groceries on the basket behind the seat and took off, smiling only as the breeze crossed her face. The cool air felt refreshing, especially as she looked up and saw the sky above, bereft of clouds. She couldn’t see many of the clouds due to the light around her, but she could see some, enough. If she wanted to, she could stick her arms out, ride her bike with no handlebars and act like she was showing off, or have her arms held by the two people which meant most to her.

If only they were still here. No amount of conversations with You would fill the hole in her heart that their departure left. Those conversations worked as well as wet band-aids. Kanan kept biking, only stopping when traffic signals dictated her to do so, and even then, she crossed most of those roads. Like anyone ever used them this late.

The exception, the one time she stopped in full, was a busy intersection where cars were driving in every direction. Stepping off her bike, she stood, looking up to the sky. The brightness of the roads left the sky dim, even the brightest of stars twinkling dully in Kanan’s eyes. She bit her tongue; the tedium of life didn’t even give her the joy of looking up and enjoying the stars for what they were. She looked back down, towards the traffic signal, still telling her to stay put, with nothing to distract her, nobody else at the intersection. All there was was a bulletin board with a single piece of paper pinned to it.

Kanan walked her bike towards the bulletin board, squinting at the piece of paper even as a lamppost above lit up the piece of news. It read:

 _National Business Conference, 28-30 August, Awashima Numazu_.

The lamppost flickered and dimmed, leaving Kanan unable to read the rest of the paper, but she read all that she needed to. Not only was it a miracle that she found this on the night of the 27th, but reading where this event was to take place made her smile. She couldn’t remember all the memories she had of the Awashima hotel; there were simply too many for her to think of. As much of a pipe dream it was for Dia and Mari to be there, she couldn’t shake the idea away.

Kanan looked up, towards the sky, once more. As the lamppost’s light bulb gave out, the sky seemed to wake up, glittering with plenty more stars than her first blush would have shown her. It had been awhile since she looked up, to admire the sky for what it was. Her smile grew, thinking of all the stars that she could point up to and say their names out loud and what constellation they belonged to. She didn’t need the star chart that Mari took with her; she almost knew it by rote.

Kanan brought a hand to her cheek, blinking at the feeling of a trail of wetness. Tears. Kanan sniffled, wondering why she was crying so silently. She thought she was at least aware of herself, but it seemed not to be the case, not in that moment. As she cried, her knees didn’t buckle, and her smile grew more, as if the stars were telling her something. Without even realizing it, she had reached into her bag and grabbed her phone, flipping it open and opening her contacts.

Dia and Mari were still at the top of her contact list, on top of even You. Dia, being first, was the first person Kanan dialed. She brought the phone to her ear, finally taking a moment to sit down. If she were home, she would have grabbed one of her beers and opened it, and it took a lot for her not to do that in the moment. She reached for one, but was stopped when the sounds of her phone ringing, waiting for Dia or her voicemail to pick up, stopped.

“Hello?” Dia asked, her voice clearly stifling a yawn.

“Good evening, Dia. How are you?”

“I’m doing well, thank you very much. How are you?”

“I’m doing fine myself, thanks,” Kanan said. “Got any plans for the weekend?”

“Funny you should mention that,” Dia remarked. “I just got off the train from Tokyo. There’s a huge business conference going on in Numazu, and I want to see how things are going here. It’s been awhile since I’ve been here, hasn’t it?”

Dia’s innocent giggle made Kanan’s heart sink. It had been three years since she heard anything like that come from Dia, and compounded with her question, she could feel just how much of a distance there had been between Uchiura and Tokyo. At least it wasn’t the case this weekend, but considering she had a conference, there probably wasn’t much time for her to spend actually exploring the city or at least dropping by.

“It has,” Kanan said. “How’s the hotel?”

“It’s nice,” Dia remarked. “It’s just how I remembered it to be. Part of me wants to leave and go to that room that Hanamaru locked herself in. There are so many memories here.”

Kanan chuckled, reminiscing on the time where she and Dia accidentally scared one of their underclassmen into locking themselves in a hotel room. “That place can fit two memories per room. Remember the time with the orange soda?”

“Kanan!” Dia tried scolding, but it was difficult to take her seriously as she laughed through her words. “Don’t bring that up!”

“Okay, okay,” Kanan continued chuckling. “What should I bring up, then?”

“Anything but that!”

Kanan nodded, even though she knew that Dia couldn’t see her. If only she could see her and the smile on her face, one which grew larger with each passing second. Even if their three years apart had been punctuated with frequent calls between them, this felt different in a way she couldn’t explain. It felt more fulfilling, more warming.

“Say, Dia,” Kanan said, trying her best to shift the conversation. “Do you know if Mari’s going to be here?”

“Her parents are hosting the conference. It wouldn’t surprise me if she were here. I know she’s busy with traveling and college, but this is probably one of her trips.”

“That’s what I was thinking. It’d be so nice to see you two again.”

“Kanan…”

“I mean it, Dia,” Kanan said. “I wasn’t sure if there’d actually be a moment where we’d meet again, but now that we have an opportunity…”

Kanan couldn’t finish her sentence without a sob breaking from between her lips. Her fingers curled tightly around the phone, her arm shaking slightly. She had realized the gravity of what she was saying; of _course_ they would have found time to see each other again, even if they had to fight over their schedules with bosses. It just seemed so far away, and now, it was right in front of her: the opportunity to see them again.

“I’m sorry, Dia,” Kanan said, wiping a tear from her eye. “You know how I feel about you two.”

“Yeah,” Dia responded. “I’m really excited to see you and Mari again. I’ve missed you two so much.”

“So, so much,” Kanan said. “This town’s really not the same without some friends to enjoy it with.”

“What about Chika and You? Aren’t they still in Uchiura too?”

“I don’t see them much.” Sure, it was a bit of a lie, but she wasn’t going to tell Dia about her friend with benefits. She’d get an earful about how it was a bad coping mechanism and whatnot. “Chika’s busy with the ryokan and You’s busy with her father.”

“I see,” Dia said. “Hopefully you’re hanging in there.”

Kanan sighed. “Barely. But hey, I can forget about that for a few days, right? You have free time this weekend?”

“I think so,” Dia said. “There aren’t a lot of panels happening on Sunday, so I’ll probably be free to spend time with you then--”

Dia’s words were interrupted by percussive thuds. “Hold on a second.”

Kanan could hear soft footsteps, the door opening, and then a loud and very familiar “Oh my god! Dia! I missed you so much!”

Dia squealed.

“And you’ve stayed just as big as ever!”

“Mari!” Dia yelled out. “Don’t do that!”

“Oh, come on, Dia! I can’t surprise one of my best friends in the whole world?”

“Not like that! How’d you know I was here, anyway?”

“Mama and Papa own the hotel, so I got to check who came to this event. I can’t believe you’re joining us!”

“I came back to see how this place is doing. I need to say hello to my parents as well.”

“Hey, Dia, do you know if Kanan’s still lurking around these parts? We need to say hi to her if she is!”

Kanan couldn’t help but smile. She could see the conversation playing out between them in her mind, and knowing that Mari was wondering if she was doing well warmed her heart even more. If only she could be in that hotel room with them both to rekindle their feelings, for old times sake.

“You wouldn’t believe who I’m talking to on the phone, Mari.”

“Give me! Give me! I want to say hi to Kanan! Hi, Kanan! Can you hear me?”

Kanan chuckled to herself. “I can. Hey, Mari.”

“Are you just as big as ever?”

“Would it make you happy if I was?” Kanan asked sarcastically.

“Yes! Oh my god! Kanan! I’ve missed you so much!”

“I’ve missed you too, Mari. You and Dia, actually. I was talking with her about maybe seeing if we can do something on Sunday, considering she’s not doing any of the panels.” Kanan gave air-quotes to the word “panels,” even if nobody could see them.

“What? Dia’s gonna sneak out to see her friends? I would have never expected that!”

“Hey!” Dia yelled, “You’re one to talk!”

“I’m not saying it’s a bad thing, Dia,” Mari remarked. “I’d be offended on Kanan’s behalf if you didn’t come out to say hi to her.”

“Why wouldn’t I, Mari? She’s just as much my friend as you are!”

As much as she should have been somewhat annoyed that her two best friends were fighting, she couldn’t help but let her smile grow further. Even with all the time and distance between them, they were just as close as ever, like nothing had ever happened and it was just another day after graduation without all the ceaseless days of work.

“Oh, you two,” Kanan said, “I can’t wait to see you again. I’m so excited for Sunday!”

“Same here!” Mari agreed. “I can’t believe it’s been three years since we’ve seen each other!”

“Has it really been that long?” Dia asked.

“Mhm!”

“It feels like longer,” Kanan huffed.

Her words brought laughter to Mari’s lips. “Did you hear that, Dia! Kanan thinks that it’s been longer!”

“Well, I don’t blame her. How long did those two years you spent in Italy feel for you, Mari?”

“Very long!” Mari said. “I’m just saying it because it really has felt like a long time. I’ve missed you two so much! Dia! Hug me!”

Kanan tilted her head with a smile as she heard the sounds of Mari squeezing Dia, Dia squeaking, and Mari cooing about how soft and cuddly Dia felt in her arms. Maybe it was just Mari being soft and cuddly for everyone.

“Hey, you two,” Kanan almost sang into the phone. “I should probably head back. I was coming home from the convenience store before checking the billboard, and I think my beer is getting warm.”

“Hey, Kanan, you should bring some of them up for us on Sunday! I think we’re all free and we still need to pay you back for Ruby’s graduation party!”

“I’m going back home on Monday, so I’ll be fine drinking a beer or two.”

“Ooh! Is Dia getting drunk?”

“Two beers isn’t enough to get me drunk, Mari!”

“Actually,” Mari said to Kanan, “don’t bring any beer! I’m gonna bring some wine.”

“Oh, Mari,” Kanan hummed, “why am I not surprised you became a wine aunt?”

“ _It’s so good!_ ” Mari said in perfect English.

“Anyway! I need to get home! I love you!”

“Love you too, Kanan! Dia, say you love Kanan!”

“Oh. Bye, Kanan. I love you.”

“Love you too, Dia! Bye!”

Kanan closed her phone, slipped it in her pants pocket, and looked up to the stars. Now that she was used to sitting in the dark, the sky was illuminated with stars like she was sitting on her dock. She needed the star chart to name them all, or Mari and Dia to guide her through the ones that she forgot. She couldn’t help but sit there, enjoying herself and observing the celestial beauty above.

Then she looked back at her bike and her groceries leaning against the bulletin board. Standing back up, she got on her bike, and pedaled away, heading back to her home, where she could sit out on the dock, watch the stars, and do so with a beer in her hand.

All she needed to do was get through a tedious Friday and Saturday before the best day she had in three years.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the KanaDiaMari part you've been waiting for.

Sunday couldn’t come soon enough.

Even though most of her time was spent talking with patrons, giving diving lessons, and generally managing the store, every action she did she felt like she had Dia and Mari watching her from a distance. It was like they were standing next to her, or sitting at the dock when she was working with the group of teenagers that wanted to learn diving. It gave her a boost, enough for her to stand up taller, to avoid the slouching that she had developed as she leaned against her countertop whenever she talked with people. She gave a wide smile to everyone she talked to, like she had something she was looking forward to at the end of the day.

Despite Dia and Mari being her best friends, their imaginary gazes were not warm. They were cold, judgmental, leaving her just as behind as they realized the discrepancy in their statuses. They were richer, haves, able to buy expensive wines with their money and go to university for further education. They had years of experience ahead of her now, experience she didn’t think she could ever achieve in their lifetime. She stood tall because she was scared she’d stand out if she slouched. It was ridiculous to think about, given how they were their best friends, but three years was a long time, enough to justify coming home for reasons other than seeing mama and papa.

As lingering as the seconds felt, the days passed by quickly, even through relatively sleepless nights, nights spent worrying that if she dreamed she’d have nightmares that confirmed that she was left behind, dreams of Dia and Mari making out on a bed while she was just sitting there, a part of a group only because she used to be and they’d laugh if she even suggested joining them. Not even cramping her fingers, exhausting herself the only way she could to images of Dia and Mari touching each other in her mind, could save her from a loneliness strong and desperate enough to cuckold herself.

That wasn’t going to be the explanation as to why Kanan’s eyes were heavy with exhaustion, not when she stood in front of the Awashima hotel with her phone out, waiting for the latest messages from her friends to show up on her screen, the next of many that flashed brightly whenever she nervously scanned up and down their group texts. Even when she told herself that it wasn’t her fault that they weren’t messaging, and that they were getting ready, she still felt that lingering anticipation and dread.

She put her phone away and pulled out a small makeup mirror that Mari gave her as a goodbye present. Although she was not one to use makeup, the mirror itself came in handy, letting her get one last view of herself. Her hair was well-kept and put in that ponytail that she had back in high school. Her clothes fit her, a flowing blouse and leggings that were as formal as they were informal, some decent shoes and socks. She wanted to look nice; she had no idea what her friends were wearing, but either way she knew that they would rock what they were wearing better than she did; Kanan never had much of a fashion sense, even with You’s help.

Kanan’s phone buzzed. She pulled it out and gave it a quizzical look before seeing that Mari had just sent her a text. Kanan smiled and opened her phone, checking out the new message.

_Let’s have a night in! My room is 9052 and I don’t feel like leaving._

Kanan smiled. At the very least she wouldn’t have to deal with looking so out-of-place with her friends in public. She typed out as quickly as she could a response.

_im already here! see you soon_

Kanan stepped into the hotel lobby as she put her phone away, seeing a plethora of faces in suits and dresses that immediately made her feel out of place. Heels clacked and lipstick-clad lips talked amongst themselves in small groups discussing things that Kanan couldn’t even imagine understanding. This was the high society that Dia and Mari were a part of, as intimidating as the cloud of intermingling perfumes was intoxicating in every bad way Kanan could think of. Skirting through the crowds, she turned to the bellhop and signaled that she was just meeting up with a friend in her room, but whoever they were, they were busy signing out several people all at once. At least addressing them and sticking around in this crowd wasn’t worth worrying about, even if she power-walked towards the elevators and slipped into whichever she could get into first and closed the door as quickly as she could.

She breathed in the air, bereft of the scent of perfume, and let out a huff as she pressed the one button separating her from her best friends. After all the time she spent in her shop to herself, it was worth it, having a day to herself to recover and see the people who made her life the most worthwhile.

She just hoped that they loved her just as much as she loved them.

Before Kanan could submerge herself in her thoughts, the elevator dinged and the feeling of lightness as the car came to a stop interrupted her. The doors opened, showing signs that pointed to where every room in the hotel was, and she followed accordingly, her feet digging into the red velvet carpet while subtly eying the perfectly-white walls only interrupted by doors and mock pillars. It felt imposing now that she was an adult, completely in charge of her finances and knowing full well that this place would never be at her pay grade. She shook the thoughts aside and continued; Mari was waiting for her.

After a turn and some scanning of room numbers, Kanan had found where she was looking for, a room with the number Mari gave her engraved on an onyx slab in cursive. She checked her phone, making sure that she remembered the number. _9052,_ read both her phone and the slab through slight tears. Her smile grew wider, her breathing heavier. Too long. It had been far too long, and before she knew it, her knuckles were rapping against the door.

“Mari?” She let out, trying her best to hide her excited tears. “It’s Kanan! Can I come in?”

As much as she could hide her feelings from her friends, she couldn’t hide them from herself. The pervasive heartbeat that pounded at her throat, the slight shakiness of her legs, the heat that crept up her back and the sweat that came with it; all of it nobody else could notice. It was like time slowed down, taunting her with every moment that she was left alone knowing fully that at least for the rest of the day, her anxieties would be left with her shoes at the door. Kicking them aside and placing them on the mat besides her, she waited with bated breath for the door to open and to be welcomed back into the loving arms (and hands) of Ohara Mari.

As she heard the door unlatch, her smile grew, a smile that grew even more as she saw who stood on the other side of the threshold, in her room. And there she was: standing there in a purple button-up shirt and pencil skirt. Even without the loop in her hair, there was nobody else she knew that radiated the same kind of energy that Mari did, between her sparkling eyes and her cheeky grin. Even then, there was only one way that Mari would greet her: in perfect English.

“ _Oh my god!_ Kanan! Hug me!”

They stepped into each other’s embraces and wrapped arms around each other, as tightly as they possibly could. It was like an unwritten rule between them, that they needed to share this hug together. Mari’s head found its niche resting against Kanan’s collarbone, and Kanan tilted her head slightly to give her a bit more space. Her hands ran up and down Mari’s back, occasionally giving her a pat on the back. Mari nuzzled into her, softly humming some indiscriminate tune that Kanan could barely remember from her idol days.

“How’ve you been, Mari? Gods, it’s been so long!”

After a few seconds of silence spent in pensive thought, Mari replied. “Better now. Who knew that life was going to be so stressful since I got out of high school?”

Kanan gave a slight shrug, enough to show that she wouldn’t have realized that, but not one which led to Mari being bucked out of her spot. “I wouldn’t have guessed.” There was slight sarcasm in her tone, but before Mari could pick up on it, Kanan squeezed her tightly.

“I thought that Mama and Papa would help me out some, but they’ve really left me on my own! They’re leaving me to dry!” Mari pulled away so Kanan could see her perform a mock-faint, relying on Kanan’s strength to keep her from hitting the ground. Kanan pulled back as Mari leaned back against her hands, the playful expression on Mari’s face the only reason why she wasn’t concerned. After a few seconds of being held, Mari came back to life and returned to hugging Kanan tightly. Ever the dramatist, Mari was. “But what about you, Kanan? How’s life going for you?”

Kanan let out a huff. “Same ol’, same ol’. Although it sure is boring without you and Dia around. I’m kinda stuck working the dive shop.” As she spoke, she felt her gaze starting to divert from Mari’s, as if she was trying to hide something from her; but how would she be able to say that she wanted them to come home and take it seriously? They had their lives to live, and she had her own; that was the promise they made each other before graduating.

“It must be lonely there. Do Chika and You pester you ever?” Mari’s words were pressing, almost like she wanted to dig underneath her skin and into her soul. That was the problem with having friends that knew her like the back of her hand.

“Sometimes, but it’s not often. They’re busy with their own lives, you know?”

Mari’s fingers drew idle shapes along Kanan’s back with barely enough pressure to bring goosebumps to her skin. “It must get lonely working there, huh?”

Every part of Kanan wanted to push Mari away because she was completely right, but she let every bit of will that wanted to push into pulling her into her, not caring if she was going to ruffle any clothes between them. Mari was never one for subtlety, but why did she need to bring it up so soon, even before she could see her other best friend and feel that loneliness fade away even momentarily? It was so Mari, just as easy to love as it was to hate.

Mari hummed as their embrace tightened, not ceasing the motions of her fingertips. “Don’t worry, Kanan, I’m here, I’m here.” There was something so maternal in the way she spoke, soothing her like she was about to put a band-aid on. In any other world it would have felt condescending, but Mari had the capacity of putting that band-aid over her heart.

Only when she pulled away did she see the other person capable of doing such wonder: Dia, in a white dress, stood behind her, watching them hug it out. Extending an arm to her, Dia was immediately invited into their embrace the moment Kanan saw her, and Dia stepped in, sharing the warmth of their completion.

Kanan could feel herself straightening up in their embrace. It wasn’t from the fear of being seen as less than equal to her friends; it was because she was with them, that for a moment, the hands on her back seemed to lift the weight of the world off her shoulders. A pleasant, but slightly pained, sigh of relief left her body as she basked in the warmth of her friends.

“I missed you too, Dia!” Kanan said in their embrace, making sure to press her cheek up against Dia’s in a friendly gesture, one that Mari was quick to mirror a bit more hastily. There was no disbelief at her action; only wide smiles growing even more. “How long has it been since we’ve been together like this?”

Her question left Dia pursing her lips in thought. “Three years now?”

“Who cares?” Mari interrupted their question, leading both to face her. “We’re together now and we should be happy about that! Who knows when this will happen again!”

Kanan dug her fingers into Mari slightly painfully instead of curling her hand into a fist as she spoke, leading immediately to backtracking and several comments about what she was saying _was joke_. That was something worth thinking about at the end of the day, not something which she made absolutely clear from the start. At least Dia and Mari had days busy enough to blend together, against the absolutely oppressively slow hell that time had given her.

“So,” Kanan said, trying to get that thought out of her head, “how’s life been for you, Dia?”

“I’ve been pretty busy,” Dia said, being the one to break the embrace with her answer. Kanan stepped back, her hands leaving her friends as well. “Not as busy as some of us,” she said, giving Mari a nod, “but I’ve been very busy. It honestly doesn’t feel like it’s been three years. How about you?”

“I’m surviving. You know how Uchiura is,” Kanan sighed, stepping out of the hallway and towards the bedroom proper.

Mari motioned Dia towards the area as well until the three of them were sitting down on the edge of the large bed that was in the center of the room. Kanan looked around, surprised that the room wasn’t completely covered in clothes and lingerie like Mari’s bedroom was back in high school. As well, the bed seemed slightly smaller than the one she had in her room, but she didn’t mind rubbing shoulders with Mari. If anything, she loved it.

“Yeah,” Dia said as she sat down on the bed with them, rubbing against Kanan’s other shoulder. “I can’t really say there’s anything interesting that comes from Uchiura, except for Mari.”

Mari smiled as she was listed as an exception, but Kanan leaned into Dia. “Hey now, you’re pretty special yourself. You don’t give yourself enough credit, Dia.”

Dia shrugged, her arm lifting so she could bring a finger to her chin, leading Kanan and Mari alike to give her smirks. Dia brought her hand down, but the message was still the same. Her claims that she did give herself credit were immediately shot down.

“Dia,” Mari said, snaking behind Kanan so she could reach for her chest, a move that Dia was not quick enough to deflect. After a short and high-pitched _pigya!_ , Mari smiled, giving her a slight massage. “You’ve always been special, even if some things haven’t changed about you.”

Dia pulled her hands away from Mari and Kanan helped straighten Mari up so she was sitting how she was before reaching for Dia. “You haven’t changed either! Shameless!”

Kanan brought her hands to her friends’ shoulders, a slightly distressed smile on her face. “Dia, Mari, please! We don’t know when we can do this again, so I really want this to be something we can look back on with a smile.”

Whatever tensions were flaring up between them from Mari’s misconduct were quashed with Kanan’s mediation. “Kanan’s right,” Dia said, to which Mari nodded. “Just don’t do that again, Mari!”

“What if I let you return the favor?” Mari asked, shooting both of them a wink. Kanan and Dia looked at her with looks of slightly shocked amusement, but as the novelty of the comment wore off, Mari immediately backtracked with another string of “ _it’s joke_ ”s. Kanan couldn’t help but chuckle at how quickly Mari was to backtrack, and she teasingly stuck a hand out in front of her, curling and uncurling her fingers like she would, after so long, get revenge on Mari for being so handsy, but it felt so absurd. She couldn’t help but let herself succumb to a fit of giggles, bringing her hand down in resignation of her task.

She might have failed at getting revenge, but Mari was laughing as well, and after a few seconds, she could hear Dia joining in on their laughter. Kanan’s laughter grew louder, the corners of her lips hurting from how high they were curled. Only Dia and Mari could do this to her. She brought her hands to her stomach, trying her best to quell the laughter in some way, but she knew it wouldn’t stop, especially with how Dia and Mari’s laughter made her want to laugh even more. It wasn’t that their laughter was funny; she just loved how even in a world as bleak as hers, she could laugh, and laugh, and laugh at something so trivial and have the people she loved most smile with her.

Eventually the cycle of laughter broke between them, and Kanan couldn’t help herself but pull Dia and Mari in for another hug, as if thanking them for this. It was just one day, but it was easily the happiest day she had in a long time, and it had barely begun. It was already better than the day where You came to her shop in the morning and left at night after two meals which served as breaks for nonstop fucking.

“Do you still talk with Chika and You, Kanan?” Dia asked her. “If I recall, they’re still living in Uchiura.”

“I don’t really see them much. Chika’s busy with the ryokan so I see her like once a week at most. I see You more, but she’s usually busy with her work, so she comes around like twice a week on a good week.”

“Are they doing well?”

“Last I heard, yeah. You said that she was going to ask Chika out,” Kanan said, her grip weakening slightly, something Mari was quick to notice.

“Awh, did you like You as well?”

“I didn’t!” Kanan said. “I’ll probably see her less, though. It’ll be even more lonely than it already is.” Her words were almost a sigh, exhausted from just thinking about how life would go without the occasional moment where she could forget all about work.

“And you’re stuck working at the shop every day?” Dia asked.

“Yeah,” Kanan said. “I can’t really go out and find other things to do with my time. I’m always sitting at the counter waiting for someone to show up. This has been my first day away from there in so long.”

“At least you control when it’s open,” Dia said. “I’ve been so busy with work and with school. I can’t even tell you how much extra-caffeinated tea I drink in order to stay awake some days.”

“I can’t even function without my coffee!” Mari said. “I need to drink a whole pot so I can go through my day. It’s so _exhausting_ , and Mama and Papa don’t even help me out. Not even with pointers on how to run the family business. They’re still looking for husbands who can do that!”

“Hold up,” Kanan said. “They’re _still_ looking for someone for you to marry? Even after we ran away in Italy and proved to your mom that idol activities are worthwhile?”

Kanan could see the joy evaporating from Mari’s smile, only giving her a subtle nod before resting her head in her hands. Kanan leaned into her, running a hand along her back while Dia stood up and headed to Mari’s other side to comfort her.

“It’s not fair!” She cried out. “I know I have this reputation to uphold, but why can’t I just be me? It’s always been like this!”

Even if the situations that Kanan and Mari had were miles apart, she could feel sympathy panging through her. It was relatable in a really weird way, even if Mari’s parents were too doting over simply not being there at all. Regardless, her hand rubbed up and down Mari’s back, fingertips occasionally brushing against Dia’s as she mirrored her actions.

“They’ve always impeded me and it hasn’t stopped even though I’m twenty-one! I’m old enough to drink but I’m not old enough to love people they’re not okay with me loving? Have you _seen_ most of those tycoons?”

Kanan did not, but a quick glance at Dia’s face and the wincing expression upon it made clear that these tycoons wouldn’t have been seen as desirable without their astronomical net worths.

“It’s not fair,” Dia said. “You should have some autonomy in what you want to do with your life. It shouldn’t matter if you don’t want to marry into a wealthy family.”

“They don’t care! I feel like I’m just an asset to them! It’s like they see me as the reason why their hotels will live after they’re long gone and not like a person! Either that or an accessory!”

“Your parents are tightwads,” Kanan huffed. “It sucks that they’ve always just been in the way. I have my complaints about my parents, but at least they gave me time to live a life I wanted to live. Papa didn’t tell me who I could be friends with.”

Kanan’s words seemed to twist the knife in Mari’s wound, her sobs escalating to wails. Dia gave Kanan a dirty look, and she could feel her gut twisting into a knot. This wasn’t what she wanted to happen. She wanted to make her feel better, and instead she spoke too much and did the last thing she wanted to do. With her words failing her, she tried something else to make her feel better, the first thing that came to her mind.

She kissed Mari on the cheek. Her tears were bitter, but it wasn’t even a price to pay when Mari’s wailing quieted down.

“Mari, I don’t know if you want to hear this from me,” Kanan said, “but I’m so glad that even now you’re rebelling against your parents. That’s pretty hardcore. Hell, you’re hardcore. That’s why I’ve loved being with you for so long. Even through all the fighting and self-doubt, you never fail to put a smile on my face, even when we fight.”

Mari started sobbing again, this time turning to face Kanan before tackling herself on top of her with such velocity that they laid on the center of the bed. She didn’t hide herself in Kanan’s bosom, instead letting her see the tear-stained smile on her face.

“Thank you so much!” Mari cried out again and again. “I love you and Dia so much and I don’t know who I’d be without you two!”

Dia crawled up next to them, and once she was spotted in the corner of Kanan’s eye, she was a part of the embrace as well. “I’m glad you’re a part of my life too, Mari. You too, Kanan.”

Kanan chuckled. “Hey, at least you have a somewhat supportive family, too.”

Dia giggled, and Mari chortled. “I guess so,” she said.

Mari pulled away from the embrace, sitting chastely on Kanan’s hips. “How’s Ruby doing, by the way?”

“Last I heard from her, she’s enjoying school. She’s found some friends from Tokyo who also love idols. I think she’s doing really well for herself. She’s going to the same school Leah’s going to, too. I think they’re a thing. Ruby’s a bit secretive about her college life, though.”

Kanan smiled. “I’m glad she’s doing well.”

Mari nodded.

“Are you feeling better, Mari?” Dia asked.

Mari nodded again, a wide smile on her face. “You two are really the only people I can trust with that kind of stuff, and I’m really glad you two are still as trustworthy as ever.”

“Of course we’d be,” Kanan remarked. “We’re your friends. We’d do anything to make you happy.”

Mari’s smile grew into a slight smirk as she bounced herself off of Kanan’s hips and to the side of the bed, standing with her hands on her hips. “Maybe we can do a bit of early evening drinking?”

“Right now, Mari?” Dia asked, looking at the clock. “It’s 6:30 in the evening!”

“It’s never too early for a bit of wine, you two!” Mari retorted. “I say we get some take-out and enjoy it with our wine! What do you say?”

Dia was quiet about it, as if waiting for Kanan to give an answer. She gave one readily, her smile and a quick nod letting them know in advance what she wanted.

“That sounds like a great idea! It’ll be like 7:30 once the take-out gets here, and that’s a perfect time to enjoy some booze.”

Mari feigned offense. “This is _not_ booze, Kanan! It’s a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon! This will be the best wine you’ll ever have”

Leave it to Mari to provide such quality wine for a get-together. Her description was far beyond Kanan’s class grade, and it made her wonder just how much she spent on the perfect wine for them to share.

“Not sure what that means, but it sounds amazing,” Dia commented. “You know how I am with cheap wines, Mari.”

“No I don’t, Dia,” Mari quipped, “but if I know anything about you, you have a refined palate. Only the best for you!”

“So if it were you and me, you’d get some cheap boxed wine?” Kanan remarked.

“ _Of course not_!” Mari feigned offense at her statement. “You’re just as deserving of this as Dia is!”

Kanan’s smile grew, and it almost felt cheesy, but she didn’t care.

“Do you two know what you want to eat?” Dia asked.

“I don’t know,” Mari said. “I’m not even sure if my favorite restaurants around here are still open! You can never tell with Uchiura, you know?”

“I know this one place that makes some fantastic tempura,” Kanan said, her comment in her mind just a good starting point. She wanted to collapse into the bed after letting her thought out, letting Dia and Mari get into a screaming match between these fancy and high-end places that Kanan would have never known about, but given how bright and wide their eyes were at Kanan’s idea, she stayed upright.

“That sounds honestly pretty good,” Dia said. “It’s been awhile since I’ve had any tempura.”

“Yes!” Mari added. “I’m always having things from the highest-end restaurants! Please tell me that it’s from some street cart!”

Kanan shook her head. “It’s not, but it’s in some alcove so you know it’s really good. They get all their fish fresh.”

“No way!” Mari said. “We have to go here! It’s the perfect food to describe Uchiura! Maybe we can see if we can get some mikans, too!”

Dia smiled. “I agree with Mari. It’ll feel like I’m at home again.”

Kanan pulled both of them closer to her, darting a glance between them. “I think I know what else would make us feel like we’re at home while waiting for our food.”

“What’s that?” Dia and Mari both said, turning to face Kanan.

“I think they have some of the old Love Live archives on their main site. Maybe we can watch a few of them and reminisce on how fun it was to be together.”

“I _love_ that idea!” Mari squealed.

Dia was quick to follow. “Are you sure they have the Aqours performance?”

“Last time I checked, they only keep the winners’ performances behind a paywall for concerts that are over three years old. We barely hit that margin.”

“I never thought there’d be any good in losing,” Dia huffed, a comment that led to Mari laughing and Kanan chuckling.

“Hey now, Dia,” Kanan said, leaning into her, a hand slipping into hers. “It brought us together again, so I can’t really see any placement as a loss.”

That was enough to shut Dia up and to leave a flush on her cheeks, one that Mari was quick to giggle at. “Ooh, Dia’s getting flustered!”

Dia darted her gaze away from her friends for a few seconds, her lips quivering slightly as she tried to figure out how much of a smile or frown she wanted to show. “S-should I order the food?”

“No, no, Dia! My treat!” Mari remarked. “I won’t let my friends pay for any of their food!”

Kanan huffed, looking over her shoulder with a small smirk. “Looks like you’re still as charitable as ever, Mari.”

“ _Of course!_ ” Mari said. “Even when I’m being extremely extravagant, I have so much money I know I’ll never use, so why not give it away like this?”

“You’re too kind,” Kanan said. “Maybe you could pay for my one-way ticket out of this town.”

“No can do!” Mari said. “You need to make your papa proud!”

Before Kanan could comment, Mari grabbed her phone and brought it to her ear, effectively cutting off the conversation and replacing the talk with food. “What should I get from here?”

“I’d say to get three ultimate seafood combo platters. That’ll be enough food for all of us, and maybe some to have as leftovers when you go home.”

“What do you get from an ultimate seafood combo platter?” Dia asked.

“Some fish cakes and dried horse mackerel, along with some shrimp, salmon, and mackerel tempura.”

“Sounds like Numazu to me,” Dia said before addressing Mari. “Can you get me a green tea? The stuff from Tokyo simply doesn’t compare to Numazu tea.”

Mari gave her a thumbs-up before turning to face the two of them. “What about you, Kanan? Do you want anything else?”

“I’m good,” Kanan said. “I’ll be fine with just wine.”

“Alright!” Mari said before returning to her phone. “Hello! Mhm, yes, yeah, can I get three ultimate seafood combo platters and a large green tea? Yes, that’s correct. Thank you very much! _Bye-bye!_ ”

Once Mari hung up, she turned her attention to the television on the opposite side of the room from her bed, a hotel mainstay so obvious that they had not brought their attention to it until that moment, resting on her dresser. “Thankfully, they gave us an HDMI cable so I can plug my computer in. Wanna watch our lives again?”

Kanan smiled, giving a nod in time with Dia’s nods. Crawling further into the bed until their backs rested against the headboard, they watched as Mari pulled her phone out from a bag besides the bed, placed her laptop next to the television, plugged it in, and opened up the Love Live archives. Once she found the first performance of Mijuku Dreamer, Mari crawled in bed next to them, laying right next to Kanan.

Kanan’s hands rested against her friends’ arms as they watched their performance. As much as they watched Chika dance (and particularly Chika, given how she was the center), the brief flashes of seeing themselves on screen filled them with a weird feeling. It was one that brought Kanan’s fingers downward towards her friends’ palms, a solemn silence filling the air between them that let the melodic contour of their song soar as highly as it could. It was hard not to indulge in their reunity.

Mari was the first to break the silence once the first chorus hit, humming along to the melody. Feeling her fingers against her palm, Mari pushed her hand so her palm rested against Kanan’s, fingers idly intertwining between hers. Kanan did the same for Dia, whose hand was not as reluctant to intertwine as she had expected. Kanan idly hummed along as well, as if inviting Dia to join the miniature concert that was between them. At first, Dia was silent, even as Kanan and Mari both grew louder with their humming, following the most prominent melodies through the verses and bridge.

DIa’s silence broke as the final chorus hit, breaking from their humming and singing along. Although it took Kanan and Mari off-guard at first, enough for them to stop singing so they could appreciate how well Dia sang, Mari gave Kanan’s hand a quick squeeze before joining in, and a few bars later, Kanan joined in as well, singing out the rest of Mijuku Dreamer without a care. It was their song back then, and it was their song right now, as they sang it. In a sense, their dream had come true, to be together for another day.

Even if they forgot the order of the songs, the melodies and words came to them easily, and Mijuku Dreamer was just the start of a long list of songs that they sang along to, each ending with laughter or some comment about how amazing it was to be on that stage.

Throughout, too, they moved closer to one another. Mari rested both of her hands against Kanan’s, sandwiching it as if to say she’d never want to let go. With Dia, her free hand found Kanan’s shoulder, pulling herself into her and resting up against her comfortably. Her gaze focused much less on the concert and more on her friends, the smiles they had from singing and being as close as they were. There was just something so magical about it, a profound joy that she wished she could capture in a bottle and bring home with her as a memory. Maybe part of the magic was that it was the first time in so long she felt like this.

At least Dia and Mari were too engrossed in the concert to notice the tears streaming down Kanan’s face.

The reveries were interrupted by the sound of the door knocking, leading Mari to pull away from them to get the food and pausing the video. Kanan and Dia, aided by one another, sat up, looking at each other with a warm set of smiles.

“I’m so glad we were given the chance to be Aqours again,” Kanan said, looking towards the paused screen, one of them all lined up and holding hands; time flew when watching something as special as a concert, and she had not realized that they were already done with that one. Not that it mattered; there were plenty more.

“I agree,” Dia said. “It gave us something that we really needed. I can’t put my finger on what, though.”

“Each other?” Kanan said, giving Dia a slight and playful jostle.

Dia’s finger didn’t even bother waiting to meet up with her beauty mark. “Of course not…”

Kanan chuckled. “You can’t fool me, Dia. How long have we known each other?”

“Food’s here!” Mari called out as she brought a bag full of styrofoam containers and a cup to the bed. Giving the cup to Dia, Mari plopped the bag on the bed, tearing it open and placing the styrofoam packages in front of everyone, laid next to one another. “Smells delicious!”

“It’s really good,” Kanan said as she opened one of the clamshells, letting them all see the food lined up in different compartments. With a whiff of the seafood, Kanan was already drooling. Grabbing a pair of chopsticks, Kanan opened and closed her chopsticks, her smile growing as she let out an _itadakimasu_.

“ _Wait one second!_ ” Mari yelled out. “We’re missing something!” She said as she opened a mini-fridge and pulled out a big bottle of wine along with a few plastic cups and a corkscrew. “ _Now_ it’s a party!” Mari sat down on the bed and gave each of them a plastic cup before she focused herself on the bottle, digging the corkscrew into the cork and pulling it out with a pop. Pouring the wine into everyone’s cups, she then placed it onto the dresser, making sure it wouldn’t spill and ruin the night for everyone.

“ _Now_ itadakimasu!” Mari said as she pulled out a sleeve of chopsticks, grabbing a fish cake with them.

“Wait!” Dia cried out. “We should say it at the same time!”

Mari put her fish cake back in the clamshell before clapping her hands together, a motion that Kanan and Dia quickly mirrored. And, in unison, “Itadakimasu,” they said and began eating.

The food was just as good as she remembered, very savory and a bit salty and very much reminiscent of the sea. While Kanan had been used to the food, Dia and Mari’s eyes widened at the first bite, their spoiled palates having forgotten about how amazing it was to eat things like street food.

“This is amazing!” Dia said as she grabbed her tea and brought it to her lips. With a sip, her smile grew. “And the tea’s just as fantastic as ever!”

Kanan smiled. “I’m glad you like it!”

“ _I love it!_ ” Mari said, her smile wide as she dove into her fishcake. It was hilarious to see her eat; even for how proper her family wanted her to be, she ate with reckless abandon. Maybe it was just because she was with friends, but it was almost jarring seeing Mari acting so, well, so informal, but it was something that Kanan welcomed. At least Mari didn’t forget her roots.

Kanan grabbed her cup of wine to wash away the salty flavor of the fishcake, eyeing the mackerel. As much as she expected the rich red wine to taste like every other wine she had, she was surprised at how smooth it was. The taste of alcohol didn’t immediately overwhelm her; it actually worked very well with the food with how sweet it was. She couldn’t really say much else about it, but given how Mari smiled at how Kanan took a decent swig of it, she had to comment.

“This is really good,” Kanan said. “Do I want to know how much this cost?”

“About ¥750,000,” Mari said like it wasn’t a big number at all. Kanan wasn’t surprised, though. Wines were expensive and Mari could buy the world if she wanted to. But that was less focused on; instead, Kanan dug her chopsticks into the mackerel, chowing down on the dried fish with a wide smile.

They ate quickly. Before Kanan knew it, they were on their second platter, and eventually their third, when they finally slowed down. In the first few plates, everything had been eaten, but on the third, there was a decent share of everything. Dia’s cup of tea was on its side, its contents consumed. They all sipped on their wine, occasionally giving glances to one another as if wondering if everyone was done and they could close the clamshell.

“That was amazing,” Dia said. “We really don’t have things like this in Tokyo. Thank you so much.”

“Yes, Kanan!” Mari added. “Every bite was so good!” Mari interrupted herself to take another sip of her wine--the last bit in her cup. “Thank you for showing us this place!”

“It’s the least I could do,” Kanan said as she bottomed off her glass. “Thank you for the wine, by the way.”

“It’s the least I could do,” Mari giggled, darting her eyes to their empty glasses. “Should I pour us a bit more?”

“If you want,” Kanan said. “What about you, Dia? You want us to top off your cup?”

Dia looked at her glass for a second before looking at her. “If you two are, I might as well, too. It’s been awhile since I’ve gotten drunk.”

“Since your twentieth birthday, Dia?” Mari cooed.

“No! I’ll have you know I’ve done it with some of my coworkers before!”

“I’m surprised you weren’t the designated driver, Dia,” Kanan chuckled.

“Hmph,” Dia shrugged. “In case you two don’t believe me, top me off!”

Mari topped her off before topping herself and Kanan off. Kanan swirled the drink in her hand for a second before looking at her friends.

“Hey,” she said to get their attention, “I think we should toast to our never-ending friendship.”

“Great idea!” Mari said, raising her cup. Kanan mirrored her, bringing her glass to Mari’s. Dia joined them eventually, letting their plastic glasses clink against each other the best they could.

“Cheers!”

Without food to stop her, the only reason Kanan didn’t chug the entire glass of wine was because her friends sipped at it. Sure, Mari was sipping rather quickly, but she was sipping nonetheless. Kanan sipped a bit slower than her, finding a pace that was between her and Dia, only for Dia to comment.

“Don’t you two know to savor the wine?”

“Who cares, Dia?” Mari said, the faintest of slurs coming from her mouth. “We’re here to have fun tonight!”

Kanan’s eyes widened and she continued to sip at her glass, feeling the alcohol starting to go through her system. Between the warmth in her belly and the tension in her shoulders loosening, she could feel laxness flowing through her, as well as a warm, slightly flushed, smile on her cheeks.

“Yea, Dia,” Kanan said, “this is supposed to be a celebration!”

Dia started to speed up her sips at their discretion, leading Kanan and Mari to chuckle at her. It was clear that she wasn’t used to drinking wine in this quantity, but at least Kanan knew how to drink beer. Dia seemed much more like a designated driver type who never had alcohol until that moment.

Once Dia’s glass was almost empty, she gave them a look. “Is that better?” She said.

“Absolutely,” Mari said. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m feeling pretty good,” Dia said, leaning slightly forward. “This is some good wine, Mari.”

“Of course it is!” Mari said. “Why would I give either of you less than the best? I missed you two so much, and I need to thank you for being my friends!”

“I missed you too,” Dia said, her words coming out before she realized what she was saying. “Like, I really missed you two. Life’s really not the same without you.”

“Agreed!” Kanan interrupted. “I missed you two so much, like, so, so much. I’m so happy to see you two again.” Kanan’s smile grew, and she brought her lips to her glass once more, making sure that she was at least somewhat tipsy. She didn’t want to be drunk, though; any moment forgotten between them was a moment wasted, in her eyes.

Mari leaned up against Kanan, her lips curled in that ever-familiar smirk. “I miss you two so much. If I had my way, I’d probably marry you two instead of whoever my parents wanted.”

Kanan wrapped an arm around Mari, thinking about her words as much as she could. She was drunk, but a drunk mind spoke a sober heart. Maybe they were never meant to hear what she said, but Kanan could coo.

“That’d be so cute,” Kanan said, pulling Dia into a hug as well, making sure not to spill any of her wine. “It’d be the three of us together in an apartment living our lives, or maybe one of Mari’s five-hundred or so villas. Whichever she’d prefer.”

“Honestly,” Dia said, her pause clear with the intent of finding the perfect words in her stupor, “a beach house wouldn’t be that bad for a honeymoon spot.”

“Neither would a hotel,” Kanan remarked, turning to face Mari with a smirk. “I wouldn’t really care, though, as long as I got to spend it with you two. You’re too special to let go of.”

“You’re too sweet, Kanan!” Mari cooed, her fingers eagerly taking a handful of her chest. “And just as big as ever,” she teased.

Kanan squinted at Mari. “Come on, now,” she said, grabbing Mari’s wrist and pulling her hand off her breast. “You can’t just go around the bases in whatever order you want, and just with me,” Kanan said. “Dia’s just as much a part of this as we are, right?”

Mari giggled. “I guess you’re right,” she said before turning to look at Dia. “What do you say, Dia? Kiss the eventual bride?” Leaning in, she pursed her lips, as if waiting for Dia to give her a short peck or something that was just enough to sate her.

Even Kanan was shocked when Dia leaned in, kissed her, and let her lips linger against Mari’s, meshing eagerly against them with the silent precision that she always knew Dia for. Even if she wasn’t included in the kiss, she smiled, hands running through their hair. This was it; it was everything she wanted.

And when Dia pulled away, chuckling about how Kanan should join in, it was even more than that. Thanking her, Kanan leaned in, tilting her head and closing her eyes as her lips met Dia’s.

Dia’s lips were soft, the slightly earthy taste of her tea on her lips even over the saltiness of the seafood and the heaviness of the wine. An arm loosely wrapped around her neck, their lips meshing at Kanan’s discretion. Dia was a follower, subtly submitting to Kanan’s lead. Her fingers barely gripped at the back of her neck in a gentle caress. It was like every moment Dia savored, and as she pulled back, she wore a warm, demure smile, one that craved more.

And as much as Kanan could kiss Dia forever, a brash hand grabbing her shoulder made clear that she couldn’t; she’d be leaving Mari out of the picture. Once she was turned enough towards her, Mari leaned in and pressed her lips against Kanan’s.

Mari had been waiting for this moment and was tired of waiting. Her lips were much more full than Dia’s, but the alcohol lingered on her. Mari was as needy as Dia was demure, not giving Kanan a chance to lead as their lips started meshing. Kanan hummed between frenzied pecks, her tongue readying itself in the case that Mari wanted to slip hers into her mouth, just to show just how much she wanted this.

Mari’s hand grazed Kanan's side, pulling a huff from her lips that Mari pulled away from just to entertain herself. With their lips unoccupied, Dia cupped Mari’s cheek, turning her away from Kanan so she could quickly steal another kiss that turned into a string of pecks. Kanan could see Dia’s eyes widen as she was surprised at the haste with which Mari kissed her. As they kissed, Kanan’s fingers ran up and down their backs, their cheeks easy targets for her lips to mark; as long as they remembered she was there in some way, they could waste the night away with each other.

As Kanan’s fingers grazed Dia’s spine, Dia straightened up like she had flicked a switch. Continuing her ministrations, she watched as the fire in Dia’s eyes grew, hazy darkness starting to cloud them as she grew more bold with her lips. Mari cooed into the kiss before pulling away, leaving Dia to turn towards Kanan. She leaned in, letting her lips face the beast that she was drawing out of her.

Kissing Dia seemed so different now. It was weird to think that their first kiss seconds ago had her so demure. Her lips meshed against Kanan’s as if play-fighting with her, a feckless quest that Kanan exacerbated with her fingers. She had found one of Dia’s weak spots, and as she continued, the fervor grew even more heated, leading to moments where Dia would pull away just to huff and whimper against Kanan’s lips. It was addicting, more than the wine, and she could drink from her lips forever.

With Mari growing handsier, forever came quickly. It came the moment that Mari’s hand snuck downwards and took a handful of Kanan’s butt. Toes curling at the squeeze, she pulled away and turned towards her, with Mari’s gaze demanding attention. Darting her gaze towards Dia, she gave her a nod before focusing on Mari once more. As one hand grazed her hip, Kanan slowly leaned in, a smirk on her lips as she closed in towards her jawline.

Mari’s eyes widened as Kanan pressed her lips against her jaw, her desire for a kiss sated by Dia not long after. Even though she could taste slightly the alcohol on Mari’s skin, it was still just as intoxicating as the sight above her. Her lips lingered against her, humming softly between every kiss that descended down Mari’s jaw.

When she reached her chin, it was Dia’s turn to receive her kisses; Kanan loved the way she huffed against Mari’s lips with every kiss upward. Dia was just as intoxicating as Mari when it came to taste, and even if the kisses seemed to quench the flames inside her, she couldn’t help herself. Even if it wasn’t a word she’d normally use for Dia, Kanan had to admit that she was really cute like this.

Once Kanan pulled away, admiring the dotted pink line she left on her friends, Mari pulled away from Dia’s lips, her eyelids fluttering open and showing the darkness of her eyes. “Mmm, Dia, Kanan, is it _hot_ in here, or is it just me?” Once she knew she had both of their attention, Mari’s fingers brought themselves to the top button on her shirt, teasingly undoing it and exposing her collarbones just a bit more. The next one, right above her chest, she grazed with her thumb, teasing it, toggling it, never undoing it. As she leaned in, the button became more strained, but Mari didn’t care; she continued to fiddle with it as if waiting for either of them to reach forward and undo it herself.

She just didn’t expect Dia to reach in and do it herself. Kanan’s fingers joined Dia’s at her shirt, opening it as much as she could with Dia to show off Mari’s cleavage window. Her fingers sunk into the fabric, grazing against her warm skin. “Was this what you were waiting for, Mari?” Kanan teasingly cooed as she leaned up to give Mari a kiss.”

“You’re so shameless, Mari,” Dia added, her voice bereft of any accusatory tone, “but sometimes, I love that about you.” Dia leaned in, and Kanan pulled away, making sure to steal a kiss from Dia’s lips before she kissed Mari. With her two friends kissing, Kanan’s hand moved down, her fingers intent on undoing the next button. With it between her forefinger and thumb, Mari’s whimper into Dia’s lips made clear that she should undo the next one. Kanan followed her order, quickly slipping it through the shirt as she could start to see her purple bra peeking out of the growing triangle of skin.

Kanan licked her lips at the sight of her friend’s chest, visible, ample handfuls which she’d be happy to take, but Kanan lingered, dipping underneath the two of them making out so she could plant kisses against her collarbone, occasionally nibbling at the protrusion of bone just to hear the way that Mari would cry out in pleasure. Softly at first, Kanan bit down into her skin, pulling away just to see her discolored marks against her heated skin, flushed a warm pink. She pulled away, wishing to do the same to Dia, but her modest dress left that undoable, for now.

When Dia and Mari pulled away from each other, Kanan leaned in and took Dia’s lips for her own, as a way to even the playing field somewhat. As she felt Mari’s fingers digging into her blouse, she knew she made the right move as she hungrily pulled up at it. As much as she wanted to push her stomach into Dia’s, Mari’s fingers had already found her abs, eagerly rubbing up and down her toned belly. With Mari’s chest pressing into her back, and feeling her hot breath rubbing against her ear, Kanan whimpered into the kiss.

“Still as sexy as ever, huh, Kanan? You know how much I _loved_ these muscles back in high school.”

Of course Kanan still worked out. She swam, taught diving classes, all those things she did back in high school except worry about classes and leaving her place behind. She was grateful that her exercise regimen was enough to offset the sandwiches and beers she consumed so often, especially now that Mari’s fingers felt right at home rubbing against the contours of her six-pack. Kanan pulled away from Dia’s lips to comment. “You know it.” For show, she tensed her abs, earning her a joyous squeal from Mari.

After her abs had been catered to by Mari’s teasing fingers, Mari pulled away and moved to Dia, pressing herself up against her back much in the same way. With her fingers eagerly digging into the zipper that held Dia’s dress on her, she pulled down enough for Dia to have her attention.

“W-what are you doing?”

“Don’t think I love Kanan more than you, Dia!” Mari said as she finished undoing the zipper, moving her hands to shrug the straps that held her dress on her body off her shoulders. Dia’s dress pooled at her hips, her white lace bra on display. Although her body was modest, she was still incredibly pretty, flushed flawless skin a canvas for Mari and Kanan’s debauchery to mark. Kanan’s fingers grazed up and down her sides, loving the warmth and smoothness of her skin.

“You’re really pretty, Dia,” Kanan said as she gave her hips a slight squeeze. “Whoever ends up with you will be incredibly lucky.” If only it could be herself.

Mari’s fingers reached a bit higher up, eagerly cupping her chest. Her fingers dug into her flesh, eagerly giving her breasts a massage even over her bra. Dia huffed, trying her best to hide her moans by biting down on her lower lip, but it was clear just how much she was enjoying her touches. Kanan leaned in to kiss at the nape of her neck, Dia tilting her head to accommodate her actions, and she watched as Dia dug her teeth into her lower lip, trying her hardest not to succumb to her friends’ pleasures.

“How are you feeling?” Mari asked. “Feels good?”

“Yeah, Dia,” Kanan couldn’t help but join in. “Feels good, no?”

They could see the way that Dia was tensing up, trying her best to hide how she was feeling from the both of them, and so they continued, moving faster and trying their absolute best to see if they could get Dia to crack. The more they played with her, the more she dug into her lower lip. Mari’s fingers sunk underneath her bra on occasion while Kanan’s hands slowly pulled her dress down to her knees before pressing a hand against her lower belly, right above her matching white panties, drawing idle curlicues against her. Dia’s hips pushed against Kanan’s hand excitedly, but at a pace which made clear that she was trying to hide something.

Then, the dam broke.

“Fuck yes,” Dia whimpered as she let go of her lip. “It feels so good. Gods, you two…”

Kanan smiled, pulling her hands away from Dia’s body and reaching down towards the hem of her blouse. Considering Mari’s shirt was halfway-off and Dia was left in her underwear, Kanan was the most-dressed between them, and she wanted to change that. With a slight sway of her body, Kanan yanked her shirt up and off her body, exposing not only the green sports bra she wore underneath, but also her musculature that Mari had teased earlier.

Musculature that Dia had started drooling at the moment she saw it, Kanan knew that she had her friend hook, line, and sinker even before her friend drew up and down her abs with her fingers. She seemed spellbound at the way her abs felt, and she scooted closer, letting her fingertips tracing her become hands.

Mari joined in as well, her hands finding their resting spot at her chest. Kanan’s toes curled as Mari groped her, trying her best not to push her chest into her hands immediately. It felt fantastic, but she wanted Mari to work for her desperation. She was already desperate for the both of them, but Mari seemed like she was someone who liked earning things out of her lovers.

“Just as fantastic as ever,” Mari cooed as she squeezed through her sports bra. “How do you stay so _big_ , Kanan?”

As she felt Mari’s chest against her back, she reached behind her, hands grabbing at her shirt and pulling it, not caring about the buttons that flew off and hit her back. She wasn’t going anywhere; this was her room, and she wanted to prove a point. “You’re one to--fuck--talk yourself, Mari.”

“Ooh!” Mari cooed. “Someone’s excited!”

How could she not have been between Dia admiring her abs and Mari admiring her breasts? Yet, it didn’t seem right to tell her that she was excited; she could feel it. Instead, she continued her hands’ motions behind her back until she found her bra strap, and she quickly undid it, letting the garment fall to her lap once Mari pulled her hands away. With her chest completely bare, Mari was quick to substitute her hands as a bra, palms eagerly grazing against erect nipples.

Kanan hummed. “Fuck,” she said. “Didn’t think we’d do this, but I totally don’t mind.”

“Me neither,” Mari said. “I’m surprised Dia joined us, though!”

That was enough to bring Dia out of her stupor, looking up towards her friends. “Of course I’d join you two doing this. It wouldn’t be the same otherwise!”

As much as Kanan wanted to joke around, the way that Dia’s lips felt against her abs made her think otherwise. With harsh huffs, she had realized just how amazing Dia’s lips felt elsewhere, the gentle kisses enough to bring out so much more of her. It really wouldn’t have been the same without her. To show her support and welcoming Dia further into their lewdness, Kanan leaned in and undid Dia’s bra, letting it, too, fall to their laps before Kanan picked up both and threw them aside.

“Hey!” Dia said, sitting up and crossing her hands across her breasts.

Mari looked over Kanan’s shoulder and grinned at the sight of Dia’s modest, but perky, chest. It was absolutely wonderful, sticking out just enough, and she licked her lips. Even if Dia was trying her best to cover them, it didn’t stop Kanan from slipping a hand underneath her crossed arms and taking a tit for herself.

“They’re still good,” Kanan said as she ground her hand against her nipple. “Just because they’re not as big as mine or Mari’s doesn’t mean they’re bad.”

Dia still glanced away from them even as Kanan’s fingers dug into her chest. She hoped she could coax her into looking at them. Maybe she just wasn’t going to understand breast envy, not with her chest, at least. Mari pulled away from Kanan’s back, but she had focused so much on Dia that she hadn’t noticed until she felt something that felt like a brassiere crawling down her back. As much as Kanan wanted to stare, she wanted to make sure Dia was feeling alright. Thus, she leaned in and gave her a peck on the cheek.

Dia gasped, looking at Kanan with wide eyes.

“You’re really pretty,” Kanan said, trying her best not to get lost in her eyes or her delicate features.

“ _Pretty!_ ” Mari agreed.

Dia’s smile grew, and with it, she leaned in, taking a decent handful of Kanan’s chest. Grabbing her wrist, Kanan pulled Dia’s hand into her breast, her smile growing more as her palm grazed her skin. She could see Dia’s smile growing even more, her fingers starting to dig into her breast. As she grew comfortable, Mari sat besides them, pushing her ample chest out and raising her arms to the sky. Kanan darted her eyes between Dia’s gaze and Mari’s chest, as if inviting her to suckle upon one of them. She watched in the corner of her eye to make sure Dia was joining her as she suckled upon Mari’s breasts, lips latching onto her large nipple.

Dia hummed against Mari’s chest, and Kanan could subtly feel the vibrations. She was there with her, and she hummed in kind, taking in Mari’s flavor even through the clouding alcohol. To think there was still stuff left in that bottle, stuff that would have ruined the moment had she had any more. They didn’t need alcohol anymore; they had each other’s nudity to intoxicate themselves with.

And by Kanan’s hands, Mari would be the first one they truly intoxicated themselves with. Her fingers glided towards her skirt, finding the zipper and quickly undoing it. With it gone, Kanan’s fingers eagerly traced the shape of her panties, feeling the lack of protection they gave her as they slid between her ass cheeks. It was definitely Mari to wear a thong, but Kanan had to pull away to ask.

“Say, Mari, was this what you had in mind?”

“Maybe…” Mari cooed. Her smile was smug until she bucked her hips forward, a slight whine leaking from her lips. Looking down, she smiled at the sight of Dia’s fingers pressing against Mari’s clothed folds. They were all on the same page, and whether the wine helped them get to this moment Kanan didn’t care.

“May we?” Kanan asked, making sure she had Mari’s consent.

“Why wouldn’t I let you?” Mari asked, feigning offense. “Kanan, you know that if you asked I’d say yes no matter what, right?”

Kanan smiled, her hand returning to meet Dia’s between Mari’s legs. She guided Dia’s fingers underneath the waistband of her panties, their digits rubbing along the smooth skin above her folds. Mari was either freshly shaved or waxed, but she _might have_ had this idea in mind. Pulling away from her breast, Kanan leaned in, leading Mari to lay down on the bed, and while Kanan moved up, Dia moved down, faint smooches audible as she kissed down to her crotch.

Kanan locked lips with Mari as her fingers grazed her clit, swallowing the first moans that leaked from her lips. Pulling away, she smirked, pushing her hips down against Mari’s to stabilize her.

“I wish we could be like this forever, you, me, and Dia…”

“Same here. Why did fate have to pull us apart for so long?”

“We gotta savor what we have, you know?” Kanan kissed her before descending. “See you on the other side, love.” Kanan made sure to give Mari’s chest a kiss before slipping between her legs, where she gave Dia’s lips a quick peck.

“What did you say to Mari?” Dia asked.

“What was on my mind,” Kanan said as she gripped onto Mari’s panties and tugged them down, giving them both a good view of her swollen, pink folds. Bereft of any hair and trickling with her juices, Kanan couldn’t help but lick her lips. The scent of Mari even penetrated through the alcohol’s fog, leaving the booze to do nothing but make her crave even more.

But, just to make sure, she turned to Dia. “Do you want the offers?” Kanan asked, bringing her fingers to Mari’s folds so she could spread her open, her entrance pulsing slightly.

“I appreciate it,” Dia said, leaning in and taking a deep breath, letting that scent fill her nose. “Itadakimasu!”

Dia leaned in, and although she couldn’t see exactly what she was doing, Mari was loving it. Kanan pushed against Mari’s thigh as it tensed against her hand, keeping her legs open so Dia could feast on her. Looking from the side, she could see what she was doing: her tongue eagerly lapped at her entrance, drawing tiny circles around her opening and collecting the quim that flowed out of her hole as her reward. With a smile, Kanan joined in, not intruding on what Dia was doing but instead tweaking Mari’s clit with her finger.

The sounds that leaked out of Mari were absolutely heavenly as she tweaked her and Dia ate her out. One of her hands grabbed the back of Dia’s head, refusing to let her move as she ate her out, while the other took a handful of her breast and squeezed roughly. Kanan could see how much Mari was struggling to not buck her hips against Dia’s face or her hand. Throwing her head into the bed, Mari let out a howl, one that fueled Kanan to keep going.

Checking in on Dia, she could see her tongue pushing into Mari’s entrance, teasing her even more. That must have been why Mari moaned so loudly. It didn’t stop Kanan from flicking at her clit, though; the more pleasure that coursed through Mari, the better. She was just as much a part of making her feel good as Dia was, and she wanted Mari to know that. On occasion, she’d pull away from her clit and give it a few soft smacks, just enough to have Mari lurch forward to see what was happening.

Once Mari moved her hand from her breast to the bed to take a handful of her sheets, though, Kanan knew just how much into the throes of pleasure Mari had found herself.

Mari was sexy. Even with sweat dripping down her body and a filthy set of moans leaking from her lips, she was sexy. There was never a moment she wasn't, and the more she writhed, the more she saw the musculature of her body writhing from all the touching, the more she wanted to kiss her. Kanan sat up, trailing a set of butterfly kisses along Mari’s lower belly. She loved the way she tensed up against her lips, just as hungry for her as she was for Dia between her legs.

Once Dia started tapping at Mari’s side, she pulled back, though, her lip marks impossible to see on her flushed, sweaty body. Dia pulled away from Mari’s folds, her lower face dripping with her juices. She panted heartily, desperate for air, but her gaze was still on Mari’s pussy, like her time away from it would be short.

That was, until she looked at Kanan. “Oh, I shouldn’t be so selfish, Kanan. Do you, uh--”

“Don’t mind if I do!” Kanan said as she gave Dia’s lips a peck, a teaser for the taste that was to come when she slipped between Mari’s legs and lapped at her juices, swirling her tongue all around her sex to make sure not a single drop of her quim was missed. Kanan could feel herself drooling at Mari’s flavor, hearty and lovely and everything she thought it would be. It was extravagant, and she could see why Dia was thinking of going in again.

“Hey, Dia,” Kanan said, pulling away from Mari, “I didn’t know that you’ve eaten out a girl before.”

“Of course I have!” Dia remarked. Surprisingly, her hand didn’t reach for her beauty mark. “What kind of college student would I be if I didn’t explore my sexuality?”

Kanan nodded. “You didn’t seem like the party type,” she remarked, returning her focus to Mari and, with a deep breath of her sex, leaned in and tasted her again, silently thanking Dia for getting Mari as wet as she was. Maybe some of it was Dia’s saliva, but there was definitely the flavor of Mari’s womanhood coating her tongue. Humming into her sex, she lapped at her entrance, her nose rubbing up against her clit as she ate her out. Mari’s hands dug into the back of her head, pulling her in further. Kanan groaned in delight; between the way that Mari’s sex oozed into her mouth and how she could feel the tension building up inside of her, she could feel how close Mari was.

Looking up from her sex, the sight of Dia and Mari kissing one another added to the scene, Mari’s huffs and moans mere mumbles into Dia’s mouth. She didn’t let it stop her at all; it fueled her more, to get Mari so high off her arousal that she’d have to pull away and scream to the world how horny she was. Kanan’s lips curled into a smile, her tongue eagerly tracing around Mari’s quivering entrance as it pushed against her. She dug her hands into her hips, pulling her downward so she could continue without Mari fighting too much against her.

That wasn’t to say that Mari didn’t fight. Her hips bucked against Kanan’s face eagerly, jerking her face against her sex. Her tongue continued swirling around her, occasionally dipping in and feeling her walls fighting against her immediately. It didn’t take too long for her to transition to tapping at her sex with her tongue, trying her best to push herself inside. Groaning as her tongue was given entry, Kanan flexed her tongue around, trying her best to touch as much of her as she could. It was all so addicting; had it not been for her wanting to keep Mari from going too overboard with her hips, Kanan would have pulled a hand away to slip into her panties.

“Kanan, fuck!” Mari whined as she clenched her thighs against Kanan’s cheeks, her hips eagerly bouncing off the bed even as Kanan tried pushing down against her. “I’m so close!”

Kanan dragged her tongue upwards as she heard her cries, stopping only when she felt her pulsing clit against her. Lapping at the bundle of nerves, Kanan brought a hand away from her hips and towards her sex, running her digits along her folds. She didn’t want to penetrate her just yet; she wanted to see just how much more teasing she could deal with before she fell apart. It was hard to tell because Dia was busy with her mouth and running her fingers along her sides, but she could imagine Mari’s eyes in the back of her head or completely glazed over with lust. 

With that image in mind, Kanan shoved a finger inside of Mari, and she clenched tightly around it. Mari pulled away from Dia’s lips, screaming in aching pleasure. Kanan could feel pressure around her finger, and before she knew it, her finger was pushed out along with a jet of fluids. The first spurts coated her breasts, but Kanan opened her mouth and aimed the stream towards her maw, letting herself taste Mari’s juices as they squirted out of her.

“Wow,” Dia said with amazement. “I haven’t seen this before!”

Kanan pulled herself up, letting her body be sprayed by juices. She swallowed. “I’m not surprised she’s a squirter,” she said. “It fits her very well. You want a taste?”

Dia curiously came down between Mari’s legs, opening her mouth and capturing the last few trickles of her juices. She hummed at the taste, smacking her lips a few times before giving her verdict. “It’s interesting, but I really like it.”

“Isn’t it great?” Kanan asked, almost hoping that the first sight Mari saw when she came to was herself and Dia between their legs, talking about how amazing Mari was. Kanan stole a few kisses from Dia’s lips while they waited for her to come to, and it only took one peck for Mari to sit up, a wide smirk on her face.

“ _My, my,_ ” she cooed, looking not only at the kiss breaking in front of her, but the stained bed sheets between her legs. “That was amazing,” she panted out. Despite her heavy breathing, she picked herself up without any hassle. Kanan and Dia sat up, rolling out of the space between Mari’s legs.

Mari darted her gaze between Kanan and Dia, shamelessly ogling both of their bodies with the intention to do what they did to her. Even as Mari lingered her gaze on Kanan’s body more, she eventually stared at Dia, her smirk growing.

“Dia,” Mari said, pulling her into her lap and turning her around so she faced Kanan. Leaning in, her lips grazed against the shell of Dia’s ear. “What do you say about being next?”

“Eh?” Dia huffed out, turning her head so she could look at her captor; now that one of Mari’s hands rested on her chest and the other her lower belly, it was a fitting term. “W-what do you mean, Mari?”

“Don’t play dumb with me, Dia,” Mari cooed, her fingers running along the waistband of her panties. “I think you and I both know what I’m talking about.”

“I-I-” Dia mumbled, her cheeks flushing redder. Although her eyes were dark with lust, her lips quivered, nervousness overtaking her body as she writhed against Mari’s hands.

Kanan scooted towards them, her hands resting against Dia’s knees. She slowly grazed them up her legs, fingers digging subtly into her thighs. Dia’s gaze was equally aroused and panicked as she looked at Kanan, who returned her a friendly smile.

“Dia,” Kanan said, “are you comfortable with us doing this? You can always say no.”

“I-i-it’s not that!” Dia remarked. “I love you two so much, but isn’t this, well, shameless?”

Kanan smirked, tilting her head a bit. “It is, but it’s really fun. We don’t have to, though. It’s no fun if you’re not having fun, too.”

Dia’s lips stopped quivering, slowly pulling up into a smile. “I appreciate it a lot, Kan--oh, _ohh…_ ”

Their heartfelt moment had been interrupted by Mari’s fingers digging into Dia’s panties, the bulge of her exploring digits evident in her sheer white lingerie. Her hips rolled against Mari’s hand, the last strands of her dignity cut for the sake of love. Her hands grabbed onto Kanan’s shoulders, squeezing tightly without the intent of letting go.

“Please, Kanan, Mari,” she huffed as she leaned into Kanan, their lips barely grazing as she let out her final plea. “Make me feel good.”

Kanan sealed her promise with a kiss, humming against her lips. While before she could feel Dia trying to be proper and submissive, she could feel only the submission. Her lips were desperate as they lingered, their kisses each punctuated by soft smooching sounds. With each kiss, she could feel the desperation building inside of her, the need for her lips to press against Kanan’s; when she pulled away, Dia pushed forward, letting out the groans and moans she hoped she could hide from Mari’s teasing fingers.

“Don’t worry, Dia,” Kanan reassured. “We want you to feel amazing.” Her fingers nudged Dia’s thighs a bit more open, her thumbs softly grazing up and down the hot flesh of her thighs. Dia burned to the touch; she could only imagine how cold her fingers felt to her. Regardless, she continued rubbing gentle circles into her, continuing to coax her legs to part even more. 

Kanan only stopped so she could sit between her legs. Dia whined, her lips flushed from their kisses, and once she sat down, she looked at her, peering into her eyes. She could see the flames of lust and need raging, and she embraced the sweetness of her lips once more as an apology for letting go for any reason.

Kanan dug her fingers into the waistband of Dia’s panties, pulling them down to her mid-thighs. The soaked garment rubbed up against one of her thighs, its juices still clinging to her folds and Mari’s knuckles as she ran her fingers around her pussy. The scent of Dia’s sex filling her nose hit Kanan just as hard as Mari’s sex did, her eyes watering at how amazing she smelled. Unlike Mari, she hadn’t shaved, a triangular bush right above her swollen lips. Kanan dug her fingers into her curls, teasing them softly.

“So pretty,” Kanan hummed against Dia’s lips between kisses, leaving any reaction Dia could have had to fade away with the rest of her moans she was eager to swallow. She brought her fingers down, letting them rub up and down her folds. She was sure not to hit her hand against Mari’s, and she brought it to her entrance, her fingers quick to feel the tension and tightness of her entrance.

“You’re so wet!” Mari cooed, pulling her hand away from Dia’s folds so she could entertain herself, her soaked digits sheathed between her lips and humming at the juices that clung to them. Dia pulled away, turning to face Mari for her comment, but Kanan blew air into her ear to get her attention. Dia clenched like every muscle tightened.

“I’m gonna finger you now. How many should I put in?”

“I-” Dia said between her pants, her hips writhing against Kanan’s fingers. “I-I’ve done this before… You don’t have to treat me like this…”

“I’m only asking because I care,” Kanan whispered in her ear as she brought two fingers to her entrance, slowly pushing them inside of her. Dia’s pussy yielded after a bit of effort, accompanied by a loud and hearty moan that echoed throughout the room. Dia clenched tightly around the intruding digits, and Kanan struggled to slip herself in past the second knuckle. She wiggled herself around slowly, acquainting herself with Dia’s sex.

“Feeling good?” Kanan pointlessly asked; Dia was invested much more in her lips being against Mari’s, and even then her moans lingered between their kisses. It was redundant even with how much Dia clung to her fingers and how hard it was to wrench them inside of her. Curling her fingers upward made things even clearer; it felt so rough and Dia tightened even more around her, screaming out curses as she pulled away from Mari’s lips.

Kanan continued wrenching her fingers inside her, eagerly grazing every spot she could and seeing where exactly made Dia moan most. She could see her eyes fogging over with lust, her tongue lolling out when it wasn’t busy inside of Mari’s mouth.

Even though Dia was busying herself with making out with Mari, something seemed so wrong about doing this herself, and she pulled her fingers away from her, her fingers leaking with her juices. Bringing them to her lips, she could see exactly why Mari did it herself; Dia tasted amazing, and had she tasted her before, she wouldn’t have rubbed her. But that mattered little to Kanan, who pressed herself up against Dia with the full intent of getting Mari’s attention.

“Mari, you wanna finish her off?”

“ _My pleasure!_ ” Mari yelled out without a second thought, her fingers quick to acquaint themselves with Dia’s folds. With a few curlicues around Dia’s clit, she warmed herself up, slicking her fingers. With a few wanton smacks to her clit, she brought her fingers to Dia’s entrance and slipped them in, pushing herself in until her hand smacked against her sex. Dia howled, her hips rocking against the motion of Mari’s hands. Kanan couldn’t help but chuckle; she thought Dia needed to be fingered gently, but Mari seemed to know exactly what Dia wanted.

“Fuck, harder!” Dia yelled between moans, her lips quick to capture Mari’s. Kanan occupied herself by leaning in and pressing her lips against Dia’s collarbones, loving how they felt against her lips. Her fingers ran up and down her slender body, taking in the shallow dips of her curves. She eyed the swell of her ungroped breast, licking her lips before diving in and kissing the peak of it and eagerly slicking it with her saliva. Her hands lowered, running along her hips and down to her outer thighs as she straddled herself against one of her quivering knees.

As she sat down, Kanan had realized just how much the sight of Dia writhing had turned her on. Her hips rolled subtly against her, trying to get some friction as her panties ground against her sex. It didn’t stop her from kissing and rubbing Dia, loving how her sweat slicked her skin and gave her hints of the earthy taste of her sex. Dia was addicting in every way.

“You love this, don’t ‘cha, Dia?”

Kanan’s silent reveries were interrupted by Mari, her lips curled in a smirk as her gaze pierced through Dia’s. Between her finger-fucking, the way that her hand groped and smacked her breast, and that smirk, Mari wanted Dia around her finger.

“Fuck, Mari, I--”

Mari leaned in, having heard enough from her. She eagerly meshed her lips against Dia’s, her moans piercing through the moments they had their lips apart. Kanan suckled harder, trying her best to turn on Dia in a way similar to how Mari was. Looking up into Dia’s lost gaze, it probably didn’t matter what was happening to her; she had been lost in the pleasure. Dia straightened up in their embraces and screamed, her entire body tensing up as she rode through her climax. Her fingers tightened even more against Kanan, leaving marks against her shoulders, before they loosened and Dia collapsed onto her. 

Pulling away from her breast, she cradled Dia in her arms, gently rubbing her hands up and down her back. She looked at Mari, who had busied herself with her quim-soaked fingers which she once again cleaned off. WIth a smile, she leaned into Dia and hugged her, giving Kanan a smile over her shoulder. “Delicious!”

It took a few moments before Dia’s eyelids fluttered open, the lust in her gaze faded. “Kanan?”

“Mari, too,” she chuckled. “You doing alright there, Dia?”

“That was…” she panted, her gaze quickly darting up and down Kanan’s body. She then looked down at herself. “Why am I naked?”

“Maybe because we like seeing every part of you, Dia!” Mari remarked, “even the naughty parts!”

“That’s shameless…” Dia huffed.

“That doesn’t mean we don’t like it about you,” Kanan reassured before giving her cheek a kiss. “I don’t know how we ended up like this, but I don’t mind.”

“Neither do I,” Mari remarked.

“I,” Dia said before looking at the two of them and their smiles. “I guess it’s alright if I’m with you two,” she said. “I’m not sure how I’d feel if it were anyone else, though.”

“Were we your first time?” Mari asked.

Dia gave a nod. “I wanted to have my first time with someone special,” she said, “like my future husband, or you two…”

“Was it worth it?” Kanan’s words spilled out of her, apprehensively leaning forward to get even closer. Even through the heat and sweat, there was no other place she would rather be.

“Absolutely,” Dia said. “Why wouldn’t it be worth it?” As a secondary measure, Dia kissed Kanan’s jawline. She gave a smile, although it was much smaller than the one that Mari flashed at the both of them.

“Oh, Kanan,” Mari said, “we can’t just leave you hanging, can we?”

Dia’s smile grew, feeding off of her energy. “No, we can’t. It wouldn’t be fair.”

Kanan let go, waiting to be pushed back onto the bed; she assumed the position she was so used to from her lovers before. She closed her eyes, waiting for her shoulder blades to bounce against the cushion below them so she could be readily feasted upon, ready to forget all the troubles of her life.

There were no troubles when she was with Dia and Mari.

Kanan was slowly lowered onto the bed, her body weight sinking into the cushion with barely any resistance. It was like she was laying down on a cloud.

It was a scene she was so used to, but with Dia and Mari, there was so much different about it. She wanted to dig her thumbs into the waistband of her panties and throw them aside, but as she lowered her hands, she could feel Dia and Mari’s already doing it. All she needed to do was lift her hips and watch as her panties were teasingly rolled down her legs.

The smile on Mari’s lips was wide. “Looks like someone else was looking forward to this, too!”

She knew exactly what Mari was referring to, but she had her reasons to shave down there. She swam and dove for a living, after all. Not that it mattered when she was on display to Dia and Mari; even if she didn’t go down her career path, she would have done it for them. There wasn’t much that she wouldn’t do.

Mari straddled Kanan’s hips, leaning in so their lips were barely apart from one another. She could taste the alcohol on Mari’s breath. “Mmm, I’m so glad we get to do this together,” she huffed, leaning in and stealing another kiss from Kanan’s lips before she could say anything.

Overcome by the kiss, she shivered as she felt something warm and affectionate rubbing along her sex. She didn’t need to look down to know it was Dia; her tongue was gentle yet firm, each action deliberate as she cleaned her sex of her juices. It was in that moment she realized how much she burned and ached, so much more than anyone else could make her feel. Her fingers dug into Mari’s shoulders, whimpering into their kisses.

Dia knew how to make Kanan feel good. She knew how to make her feel great. She didn’t need to know all the special spots like a good friend with benefits did. The warmth of her lips radiated with each kiss, her passion with the slight suckle that accompanied each peck. Kanan’s toes had already started curling even without her toying with her most sensitive spots.

“Someone’s eager,” Mari pulled away to tease her, her words a mere cherry on top. Why wouldn’t she be? Her fingers clenched tighter onto Mari, discoloring her knuckles as what little of her nails dug into her skin. She pulled her in, her lips grazing against Mari’s as she rebuted.

“I’m not eager,” Kanan huffed, “I’m needy, for you.”

She shut herself up, not wanting to let her lackluster words speak for themselves; her lips could do the talking, all the talking that words would fail her for. She melded her lips against Mari’s, pulling away only to dot the rest of her face with kisses. As long as Mari sat on her the way she did, she couldn’t kiss anywhere else, but she hoped she could make her point clear.

Mari knew how to make Kanan feel good. She didn’t even need to be between her legs.

Kanan melted into the bed even more as the waves of pleasure from Dia’s mouth crashed through her. Every motion she made burned into her body, every kiss lingering much longer than any other she had felt down there. Even for someone who had said they lacked experience, Dia left her body to writhe, only stopped by Mari’s weight against her hips. These were kisses that she would remember forever, even through the fucking and the alcohol.

“Mari,” Kanan moaned as she pulled away from her lips and let go of her shoulders, “I’m sure you want a taste of me too.”

Mart didn’t need any further coaxing to get her down between her legs, but what she hadn’t expected was for her to convince Dia to sit on top of her, her eyes wide and her smile large and dripping with her juices. Even if it was a very shameful image, it was one that Kanan wanted to have linger in her mind until the next time she could see her.

“Kanan,” Dia huffed, leaning in and pressing her lips against her cheek, her hands resting against her shoulders. “Kanan,” she continued, at a loss of words. Kanan didn’t need to hear any more, her lips planting themselves along Dia’s to silence her, to forget what she was trying to say. There wasn’t anything she needed to say that the way her lips meshed against hers couldn’t tell already.

That wasn’t even getting into what Mari was doing. Two fingers deep into her wetness and her tongue wriggling against her clit, Kanan could already start to see stars in her vision. Her fingers curled up inside of her, Kanan’s body tensing as Mari rubbed against her g-spot. She leaked a needy whimper against Dia’s lips, her fingers curling into Dia’s shoulders. 

Even if You didn’t end up with Chika, Kanan wasn’t sure if she could bring herself to fuck her again. She couldn’t do anything that Dia or Mari could do better.

Kanan could feel herself melting into the bed, her vision growing hazier. She tried to focus on Dia as she pulled away, her lips left to let out whimpers and groans. No matter how hard she tried to squeeze, Dia still pulled away from her grasp. She brought her hands to the bed in resignation, twisting the sheets as she squeezed with all she could.

The weight on her lower belly relieved itself, leaving Kanan to writhe. All she could feel were hands on her thighs and her legs parting just a bit more. Then, all-encompassing pleasure.

Kanan looked up at the ceiling, the light fixtures growing so bright. She needed to close her eyes. Every bit of her body was tensing up, her heartbeat racing as it pressed up into her throat. She screamed, trying her best to make pleas, but all that came out was slurred. There was nothing she could do but succumb to the pleasure as it burned through every nerve of her body.

As the tension released, Kanan could see the entire universe, all the stars and planets so far away, and her hands in Dia’s and Mari’s, circling forever into the unknown. It didn’t matter where she was as long as she was with them. The vision was short-lived, their interlocked hands the first thing to fade as a wave of energy rushed through her, one that was enough for her to open her eyes.

She saw Dia and Mari’s expressions, her body too heavy for her to move. Dia and Mari knew how to bring her to pure bliss; even with all of the friends with benefits she had, none of them had brought her to where she was now, especially not after the first orgasm. They were special, but that wasn’t news to her. They had been special for at least fifteen years. This, though, was almost humbling.

“Are you okay, Kanan?” Dia asked, her words slightly fogged by the ringing in her ears. She could feel herself growing lighter, light enough for her hands to reach for theirs. Once she had one hand with each of them, she pulled herself up, her fingers desperate to intertwine with theirs.

Once they were intertwined, Kanan sat up for a few seconds. All the heaviness she felt in her body found its way to her shoulders, and she collapsed into her knees, curling up in a ball. Her hands squeezed Dia’s and Mari’s, trying her best to hold back her sobs. It was just like how it was back then, the nights where she’d curl up in a ball and cry about them leaving her.

They weren’t the phantoms she feared; she could feel their hands soothingly running up and down her back, trying their best to uncurl her. Every touch made her want to curl up even more, knowing that they’d spoil her for her and make her next bout of touch starvation unbearable. Their presence reminded her that they’d be gone soon.

“Kanan!” Dia cried out.

“Are you okay, dear?” Mari questioned, trying to hide the panic in her voice.

The words struggled to come out, but once they did, they left the room silent. “No. I’m not.” There was no place for her to hide, even in the warmth of her fetal position.

“What’s wrong?” The question was inevitable but one that Kanan didn’t want to answer, her tongue already burning as she formed the words in her head. She knew that Dia meant well, but even then, the thought just seemed so ridiculous.

“Don’t leave me…” Kanan whimpered. “Not again…”

Mari took the initiative to lean in and pull her legs away from her chest, leaving Kanan to sob openly. She knew she looked like a wreck; she pulled her hand away from Mari’s so she could hide her gaze, but Mari grabbed her hand again and pulled it away. If she was going to cry and be a wreck, she’d do so in front of them.

“Please!” Kanan cried. “Don’t leave me behind!”

As Kanan tried to curl up into a ball again, Mari sat down on her hips, pinning her to the bed. She faced her, frowning. “I’m sorry, Kanan. We have to.”

“I know,” Kanan huffed. “That’s why I’m crying! There’s nothing I can do about it! You two will go and be successful and amazing, spreading your wings and truly flying, while I’m just stuck where I am!”

Mari leaned in and wrapped her arms around Kanan, her breathing just as heavy as Kanan’s. “I wish…” She mumbled before letting out a sigh, giving Kanan her shoulder to cry upon. “I wish I could help you out in some way. I hate this just as much as you do.”

“Kanan,” Dia said, leaning up against her side. “This isn’t the end. We thought it was the end three years ago, right?”

“Yeah!” Mari said, giving Kanan a smile and Dia a glance; she hoped that their words were helping. “We’ll certainly find a way to do this again.”

Kanan’s lips quivered. She wanted to force a smile, but it wasn’t working out for her. “What if we don’t, though? What if you two forget about me in your big, flashy lives?”

Although it was a question of concern, she could see the hurt in Mari’s eyes. Giving an aside glance to Dia, she, too, was hurt. She was quickly shook by Mari, who bounced her shoulders on the bed to get her attention.

Mari’s eyes were stained with tears. “You think my parents wanted us to have this stupid convention here?”

“How should I know that, Mari? I’m not part of your special business worl--”

“ _Shut up!_ ” Mari yelled. “I didn’t talk to my parents every night for a week, telling them that we should do this in Numazu instead of Hokkaido just so I can see you to say that I’ve forgotten about you! How dare you, Kanan!”

“I--” Kanan whimpered. “I--” Her words died down, caught up in a lump in her throat that she just couldn’t let out. “Really?”

“They were so dead-set on Hokkaido! They were talking about how they had skis and everything prepared at the Awashima there! The moment I heard that we were hosting, I asked and pleaded with them to have it here! I’m surprised they acquiesced! I didn’t want to go to Hokkaido, Kanan! I wanted a chance to come home, to see you again, to be with you and Dia for one last time!”

“I--” Kanan’s words once again died in her throat, except for two that came out in a huffed cry. “I’m sorry. I thought you two didn’t care, that you’d be happy throwing me to the wayside once high school was over.”

“Kanan, why would we ever do that?”

Dia’s words were just as comforting as her hand stroking her jaw. She turned to face her, letting out a pained response. “I thought you two pitied me all this time. I thought you two didn’t want to hurt me although you thought otherw--”

Kanan’s eyes widened as she felt Dia’s lips pressing against her own, shutting her train of thought up. Her eyes closed, still crying through their slow, delicate kiss. As Dia pulled away, her gaze was concerned.

“We’d never,” Dia said. “I only came here because Mari said that we were going to have it here in Numazu. It wasn’t worth going up to Hokkaido, but I could always come home. And it wouldn’t be home without you, Kanan.”

Kanan brought a finger to her eyes, wiping off the final tears welling in the corners of her eyes. “Really?”

“Of course, Kanan!” Mari said. “We love you!”

Kanan smiled. “But, why?”

“Must we have a reason to love you, Kanan?” Dia asked, a question that left Kanan stunned and silent. She guessed not, and putting it that way, it was clear that she didn’t need a reason. She could love her all the same.

“Do you?” Kanan idly asked.

“We don’t.” Dia reassured. “You’re far too special to both of us to need a reason.”

Kanan smiled, and Mari rolled off of her, bringing a hand to her mouth to stifle a yawn.

“All better there, Mari?” Kanan asked as she sat up.

“It’s getting late,” she whimpered. “What time is it?”

Kanan stood up and walked over to Mari’s computer, turning it on. Her lock screen was a picture of them from graduation, with Kanan and Dia slinging an arm around Mari, and each of them showing a smile and their diplomas to the camera amidst a backdrop of sakura petals. It took everything for her not to cry. She had heard of all of Mari’s job opportunities, internships, conferences, reasons for her to change her lock screen, but it was still them, still smiling like it was the last day they knew they’d see each other. If only past Kanan knew.

And even if Mari changed it to be that just for her, she still had that picture on her computer and she cared enough to change it.

“Kanan!” Mari asked. “What time is it?”

She had busied herself with the picture so much that she had forgotten why she was there.

“It’s 21:00,” Kanan said.

“It’s getting late,” Dia said. “We have our train to catch in twelve hours.”

“That gives us a bit of time, though,” Mari said, sauntering towards the window, covered by a curtain. Pulling it open, Mari smiled, looking at the sky. Kanan joined her at the window, looking up. The light hid most of the stars, with only a few able to twinkle through the pollution.

“It’s beautiful,” Mari said as if the lights that adorned the hotel didn’t affect how she saw the sky. “Much prettier than it is in Tokyo!”

As Dia joined them, Kanan turned to face her, but as she looked up, she looked with the exact same amount of awe that Mari had. “It’s really pretty,” she said.

Kanan nervously giggled, bringing a hand to her back. “Yeah, it really is.” Maybe she had been spoiled by her time stargazing on the docks, but to know that Dia and Mari alike found pleasure from it comforted her. Stretching, Kanan brought her hands to her friend’s shoulders, pulling them in.

“Remember that star chart you used to have, Mari?”

“I still have it back home!” Mari remarked. “There are some things that I just can’t let go of,” she elaborated. "I wish I had it.”

“If you had it, I’d invite you guys over to my place,” Kanan said. “The stars really aren’t the same when you’re looking out a window.”

“I’m sure mama and papa would throw a fit, though,” Mari queried.

“Has that stopped you before?” Kanan asked with a smirk, pulling her in a bit closer. She also made sure to pull Dia in as well, the smile on her face growing. “I swear, you two are the brightest stars I know.”

“So cute!” Mari cooed. Dia tried hiding her face in her hands.

“You know you liked that,” Kanan nudged Dia.

A finger grazed her beauty mark. “I did not...”

Kanan darted a knowing gaze to Mari before returning to Dia. “If you say so.”

There were no other words that she needed. Being able to hold her friends so dear again was enough for her. Even if they were flashing whoever was looking in at the window, she didn’t care. As long as she was with them, she could bare anything.

Mari closed the blinds. “Say,” she said, turning towards both of them with a smirk, “I’m gonna warm up a bath. Do you two wanna join?”

Dia flushed, but she was first to speak. “I guess…”

It took Kanan a few seconds to think it over, but with a shrug, she gave them a smile as they sauntered towards the bathroom. Walking towards them, she let out a joking “wait for me!” There was no reason for her not to. They were too special to her.

Only Dia and Mari could make her feel good.


	3. epilogue

The taxi was uncomfortable with all three of them sitting in the back, but not taking shotgun was an unwritten pact between them. There was no point in separating in the last moments they shared together, even if it was in silence and under the slightly judgmental gaze of the taxi driver whenever he used his rear-view mirror.

Their fingers were knit together, hands warm as the air conditioner blew freezing air at them. Not that any of them minded, and even if Kanan worried, her hands were too busy holding her friends’ hands. No amount of cool air would break their hands apart from one another, not when there were so few moments left to savor.

They were oddly silent, the sounds of the car’s motor and tires running along the road the sole sounds filling the air between them. It felt meditative, relaxing, the union of their hands so much more than that. It had felt like they were one once more. Kanan couldn’t help but think of Mari’s lock screen, the last time she had felt something like this. She pulled her hands towards herself, dragging Dia’s and Mari’s along with her, feeling the weight of their arms. They were still real, still there.

Through the window, Kanan could see the train station. This was the end. She pulled her hands into her lap. She wasn’t going to let go. There was nothing for her to look forward to ahead. Call it selfish, sure, but she swore that the others felt the same. It was all formalities driving them, but formalities they couldn’t deny.

Kanan nibbled at her lower lip. She told herself that she wasn’t going to cry when they were leaving. Once her hands were freed from theirs, and the doors opened up and filled the car with oppressive heat, that became so much harder than it sounded.

“We’re here,” Mari said, the exuberance that would normally fill her voice absent.

“We’re here,” Dia added, just as dryly.

While Dia and Mari headed to the back of the car to get their luggage, Kanan stepped out, tentatively watching them. She knew that there wasn’t anything that she could do to change anything, and she’d have to live until either Dia or Mari had grown merciful or weary of their big city lives for something like this to ever happen again. Part of her wanted to kick those thoughts aside, _as if that’d ever happen_ , but she had to think positively, that this is for the best for them, no matter how much it hurt.

If she _really_ loved them, she’d have no problem setting them free.

“I guess this is it, huh?” Her words had a playful edge to them; if they hadn’t, the hurt would have shown too much.

“For now,” Mari said. “Maybe someday in the future, I’ll be called out for bringing so many events here to Numazu.” Maybe. Hopefully.

“Well, there’s a lot of operations in Uchiura,” Dia said, “and I’ll probably be around more after I’m done with university. There’s a reason why my family lives here.”

“Because there’s nowhere else to go?”

Kanan’s eyes widened when she realized what had come out of her mouth, but it had been too late. Dia’s eyebrows were furrowed and Mari’s expression was slightly pained.

“That’s not it,” Mari said, with the ease of not having a dead-end job holding her hostage in her hometown.

“We live here because it’s vibrant and fantastic for fishing. That reminds me, Kanan. Have you considered a merger?”

“A what?” Kanan asked.

Dia wanted to explain herself, but she quickly peered at her watch, and with wide eyes, gave Kanan a consolatory glance. “I’m sorry, but we need to leave.” 

As Dia and Mari pivoted on their heels and walked away, Kanan’s hands balled into fists. No, not like this. She could see the memories of them walking the exact path, hand in hand, as they had to go and live in Tokyo, so far away from her. She could overlay the images with what she was seeing, the image flashing so brightly and vividly in her mind it would have made her flinch.

Not again.

“Wait!” Kanan said as she ran towards them. They slowed down at the door, turning around to face her. She still ran the straight shot, unobscured by any other people. Her arms outstretched, she wrapped both of them in her arms, embracing them for one last time.

“Hug me!” Kanan cried out, “please, just this once!”

Kanan didn’t want to taste the pain that came out with every syllable, bitter and discomforting, but it lathered her tongue like a pickled plum jam. Not even the tight embrace of her friends could alleviate the feeling. Even if she had one hug, she knew that it wouldn’t be enough. It wasn’t enough to even keep her word vomit at bay.

“I’ll miss you two so much! Promise me you’ll call me when you get back home!”

“Home?” Mari asked. “We’re leaving home, not going back to it.”

There was no way that Mari actually meant that, right? “What do you mean?” Kanan asked.

“This is home,” Dia elaborated. “Uchiura’s our home. We don’t live in Tokyo because we want to. If we could, we’d stay here forever, right, Mari?”

“Of course! We’d live here and we’d all be one happy family!”

Maybe it was for the best that Kanan didn’t say anything about the wedding they were talking about yesterday. Maybe, though…

“We can consider that once you two are done with college, maybe?”

Mari kissed Kanan’s forehead. “That’d be cute! I hope my parents will allow it.”

“I’m not sure mine would, but…” Dia turned her gaze towards the ground, trying her best to figure out how she wanted to say what she wanted to. Kanan smiled; she’d just have to prepare a more intimate proposal with her.

“Hey, Kanan,” Mari said, pulling away from Kanan. “We need to go now. I wish we could stay, but we can’t.”

Kanan grabbed Mari by the shoulders and kissed her. For that moment, everything stood still. When she pulled away, she gave Dia a kiss. For that moment, everything stool still again.

“Tell me when you get home,” Kanan said, finally letting go of them.

“We will, love! _Bonsoir!_ ”Mari turned around and headed towards the door, with her soon being followed by Dia.

“Bye, Kanan! I’ll miss you!”

She’d miss her, too. She was already missing her once she turned around and accepted that she had nothing she could do.

Before she could cry, her phone buzzed against her leg. Pulling it out of her pocket, she opened it after seeing that it was from You.

“Hello?”

“Kanan!” You cried out.

“Oh, hey, You!” Kanan smiled. “What’s up?”

“So you know how I said I had plans on asking Chika out?”

“Mhm!”

“She said yes!”

“That’s amazing!” Kanan remarked, sitting down on a bench. As much as the stench of cigarettes filled her nose, and there was no reason for her to be there anymore, she didn’t mind. Once she found a taxi, she’d find her way back home.

“Isn’t it?” You asked. “Sorry I haven’t been able to call you about it! I swore I was gonna tell you the first chance I could, but I had a really busy weekend. How about you? How was your weekend?”

Kanan stood up as she saw a taxi driving by, and she immediately lifted her hand, trying to get its attention. Once flagged, she slipped into the car.

“Where are you headed?” The driver, someone who looked like a bodyguard in a past life, asked.

“Uchiura,” Kanan remarked.

“Ooh! Are you taking a taxi?” You asked over the phone.

“Mhm,” Kanan nodded. “I just said my goodbyes to Dia and Mari today.”

“Sounds like you had a busy weekend!” You chuckled.

“Tell me about it…” Kanan huffed.

“You should!” You remarked. “Tell me about it when you get home.”

“I will,” Kanan said, “Bye, You! Congratulations, by the way!”

“Thank you! Bye!”

With that, Kanan slipped her phone into her pocket once more, letting the hum of the motor and the car’s tires fill her head. It was oddly meditative.

It was like they were with her. Even if they were far away, she’d be fine with her nurturing phantoms.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I hoped you enjoyed it and have has as much fun reading it as I had writing it.


End file.
